You Disrupt Me
by N. Hubris
Summary: She didn't even do anything! She was nobody! So why were the Genei Ryodan and some crazy city villain after her? She knew one thing, though. If not for Hisoka's abnormal attraction towards her weak and accident-prone self, she'd be dead by now. HisokaxOC.
1. So Now We Meet

Hello, people! I haven't written a fanfic in ages! So forgive me if I'm a little rusty. :D

I noticed that there is a lack of HisokaxOC fics out there. Although I'm not sure anyone can imagine Hisoka actually having real romantic feelings for anyone... but yeah, this is an attempt! And I also realize that a lot of people like shounen ai and yaoi but... yeah. How about this for a change, huh? :P

I also haven't watched HxH in a long time, so if there's an inaccuracy, I beg you to tell me so that I won't further embarrass myself. Hahaha. :D

Anyway, without further ado:

**YOU DISRUPT ME**

**Chapter 1: So Now We Meet**

--

_What could be worse..._

_An angel disguised as a devil?_

_or_

_A devil disguised as an angel?_

--

"Next, Hasegawa Natsumi-san! Please step inside the examination room for your physical."

In the middle of a room full of students, a young girl stood up and followed the nurse. From afar, people would immediately single her out from the rest. Unlike the girls who were very dressed up even in their uniforms, she was dressed simply. While the other students covered every part of their body with as much expensive and sparkly jewelry as they could, she just wore a watch - and an old one at that. She was simple. And that's what let her stand out. And she was proud of it, even if she WAS in a prodigious, expensive private school.

She entered the room and silently closed the door. The doctor was a middle-aged woman who had a small baby bump that said she was only a few months pregnant. She was writing on a student's medical record when she asked Natsumi to sit down.

"How are we today, Hasegawa-san?" the doctor spoke as she did the routine check of the eyes, throat, ears, and chest. She had been the school's physician ever since Natsumi could remember.

"Very well, thank you. Umm... how long further are you due?" she attempted a little small talk.

The doctor chuckled and smiled appreciatively as she wrote some more on Natsumi's medical record.

"You know, you're the first to ask. But to answer your question," she paused as she finished what she was writing, "...six more months. I'm pretty excited about it. On the scale, please."

Natsumi obliged and stood on the scale, chatting some more, "Oh, really? Wow. So do you want a boy or a girl? You can tell with the technology nowadays, right?"

The doctor balanced the scale to get her weight and replied, "Yes, you can. I actually want a boy! But my husband wants a girl. We're the complete opposite of the average couple, huh? Usually men want boys and women want girls. 110 pounds. But we want our baby's gender to be a surprise. To the wall, please."

Natsumi smiled and leaned where a long makeshift ruler was glued to the wall. She always wondered if the measurements were accurate, but so far they always were.

"So you want a girl, huh? That's so cute of you and your husband to want it to be a surprise. It must be great to finally have a family! I'm happy for the both of you."

Her tone unexpectedly generated an unhappy tone, and she wished that the doctor hadn't noticed. But she did.

"How is your mother and her little business?"

Natsumi bit her lip and prayed to the heavens that her eyes wouldn't well up this time. If only the doctor knew what her mother's "little business" really was. She attempted to smile and to sound excited.

"Oh, it's going great! And my scholarship helps her a lot, you know? No worries there!"

The doctor smiled, but Natsumi could read the pity in her eyes. She didn't want that.

"So did I grow any taller? I've been stretching a lot!" she said in a happy voice that could've fooled an entire interrogation squad.

"Yes, you have. 168 cm to date. But you're still pretty frail." the doctor replied, squeezing Natsumi's limbs. She went silent for a moment, then spoke, "Lastly... Natsumi..."

Natsumi looked up, defensive. When the doctor began calling her by her first name, it always meant something of great importance. And it was.

"Yes, doctor?"

"About your eyes... they're alright, I presume? No need for an eye exam?"

Natsumi paused for a moment, then nodded and smiled.

"My eyes are perfect."

The doctor smiled back and finished up with her medical record.

"Okay then. I wish you the best of luck in your classes. Please tell the nurse to call out the next student."

Natsumi nodded once more and left the room, telling the nurse on the way. Then, as soon as she reached the corner, she sprinted down to the nearest bathroom. She washed her face with water. When her face was wet, she couldn't see the tears.

The truth was, her eyes weren't okay. Her vision wasn't that bad. She could see things clearly until ten meters away. But anything farther than that was an abstract painting. The doctor knew about it, but if it was reported to the school, she'd be forced to get glasses, or worse, contacts, and she didn't want to spend money on something that didn't really matter. So she and the doctor were secretly good friends, and the school never knew of her condition.

The door suddenly opened and a bunch of girls walked in. Natsumi immediately took another handful of water and "washed" her face, aiming for her eyes.

"Hey there, Natsumi!"

She turned around as the other girls went closer to fix themselves up using the mirror. They were in her class. They were fond of gossip.

"Hi. You guys done with the physical?" she asked. Any trace of intense emotion was gone.

"Yeap. Anyway, is it just me or is the school doctor getting fat?" another girl spoke.

Natsumi's eye twitched, but she didn't reply. The girls continued chatting to themselves.

"Yeah, I thought I was the only one who noticed! It's probably because she's always just there in her clinic. I bet she doesn't even do much work anyway. It's not like this is a hospital, right?"

"I wonder why she's just a school doctor... maybe she didn't pass the exam."

"Who knows... Oh, did you hear about the recent attacks in the city?"

Natsumi's ears perked up as she wiped her face with a paper towel from the dispenser.

"The one about people being branded with an 'X' on their palms?"

"Yeah, that one. They say there's more than one perpetrator. But interestingly, they don't kill their victims. They just leave them there after cutting them."

"I wonder why they think there's more than one person doing the crime."

"I think..." Natsumi finally voiced out, but forced to sound impassive, "I think it's because of the way the 'X' cuts were formed. You know? Like, different people have different penmanship. Same goes for different 'X' marks to have been cut by different people. The police usually investigate that stuff."

Everyone was silent for a moment as Natsumi pretended to fix herself up just like they did. Then, without another word, she smiled and mouthed a bye while leaving.

The girls looked at each other.

"Don't you think Natsumi is cool?"

"Yeah, she totally is."

"But she's the worst at Gym, isn't she? She hits herself or other people with the ball, or the racket, or whatnot!"

"Yeah, but she probably pretends to be bad so that she won't seem too perfect, you know?"

"Ooh! She's so humble and modest, too!"

Their voices were so loud that even outside, Natsumi could hear them. She sighed and slapped her own face.

_'At least that's just what they believe. As long as they don't bother me or my mom.'_

--

It was already around 6 in the evening, and the light was already fading. She worked part-time in a local convenience store called "Shogun" after school everyday. She always tied her long, black hair in a high ponytail and wore thick black-rimmed glasses that she borrowed from the store. The lenses didn't really help her vision since they were just used for props or costumes. But, together with her big blue apron with the "Shogun" logo that covered her school uniform, she was unidentifiable. Well, some of her schoolmates, if they were at all using their short attention span, always told her that she looked familiar, but they were never keen enough to realize who she was. She was glad, though. Otherwise, her big secret would be too much for her to handle.

She was reading one of the magazines, only going to the pages that she deemed were "educational" and "not nonsensical."

She read one of the articles that gave details on the investigation of the mysterious X Attacks, and she rolled her eyes at the thought of the journalist who had written it.

"If you show this to everyone, then the suspects know better the next time they attack." she spoke to no one in particular, or just to herself.

She remained in the position for a few more minutes until the bell on the door chimed. She looked up at the customer, but found a guy who wore the same apron as she did. She smiled.

"Hey there, Itsuki-kun! Ready to switch?"

Itsuki was two years older than she was, studying in one of the universities nearby. He was a serious, quiet guy who came from one of the minor cities, she couldn't quite remember. But he was putting himself through college, although she knew that his family had the money to send him to school ten times over and STILL have money left for traveling. She admired him to the core.

Without really saying anything, he went through the backdoor and went back out wearing a hat that also had the "Shogun" logo on it. She smiled and took that as a yes. She took off her disguise and grabbed her schoolbag on the way to the door.

"Natsumi," he called after her.

She turned around and smiled, "Yeah?"

"Be careful going home tonight. The X Attacks have been coming closer to our area everyday. Call my phone if you even FEEL that you're in danger."

She smiled once more and sighed, "Thanks for the concern, Itsuki-kun. I'll be fine. And besides, you're forgetting that I don't have a phone."

He shrugged, as if no conversation ever happened, and set his earphones to his ears.

Natsumi chuckled and marched out of the store. It was quite cold, and the wind didn't make it easier as it blew in her direction. She wrapped her jacket around herself tightly and walked with her arms crossed. Her schoolbag was heavy today because exams were coming up. She had to do some studying tonight, right after cooking dinner for her mother.

She walked in quick strides, the thought of the attacks fresh in her mind. She was afraid of many things, and feeling any form of pain was one of them. That was probably why she had no shred of athletic ability at all. She was afraid of falling down, scraping her knees, breaking a leg, twisting an arm, or anything that let her body experience some discomfort. She was claustrophobic too. And she was afraid of heights. And afraid of insects. And afraid of reptiles. But she was mostly afraid of water - oceans, seas, lakes, rivers. Swimming pools were okay, but she was always resigned to the kiddie pool.

In the middle of her thoughts on her fears, she heard someone scream. Her heart immediately raced. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she looked around for the source. There it was again - a man, screaming in pain. She began to run... far away from where it came from. She was no superhero. Her mother had taught her to run away from anything that seemed dangerous. She remembered well that her mother would always tell her to run away, far, far away, and not be like people who went to be the hero, but became the victim instead. Tears threatened to fall, and she instinctively wiped them with her sleeve. Blurry eyes were worse when there were tears to make you go blind.

And she hit a wall.

She fell down and hit her head on the pavement, making a small cut just above her left eye. More tears came as she scrambled to her feet, cursing her carelessness. And she realized that she hadn't hit a wall... but a mountainous man. She backed away. The sun was completely gone now, and the moon was just barely showing itself. The streetlamp provided enough light, though, to show the man's face. And she wished that she hadn't looked.

He had red eyes and white slicked back hair. He was close to 7 feet tall, and his black trench coat did nothing to hide the fact that he was muscular enough to snap a tree trunk like a mere twig. Beside him was another man, but smaller in comparison. He had black hair and pale skin, and his eyes were as black as the night. He wasn't as muscular as his companion, but his fingers were dexterous. He reminded her of a snake that could wrap itself around you and kill you by breaking your bones.

She shook her head, as if saying "Please don't." She took a few steps back, saying nothing, preparing to run away again in case they moved even an inch closer.

"Oh, my. She's frightened. Look what you did, John! You scared her." the smaller of the two said in a fake voice of concern.

The logical part that still functioned in her head told her that the bigger man's name wasn't really "John," based on the implied tone of the one that spoke. But she tried to push those analyzing thoughts aside. They won't help her survive.

The larger man chuckled, his voice as deep as you would have expected.

"Well then, I apologize, little miss, for having frightened you. Come here and let me kiss your hand."

He stretched out his hand, and that was when she noticed the blood that dripped down off of it. But that wasn't the only thing. He also had the X marks on his palm, but his cut was healed. The blood on his hands wasn't his...

"Go away!"

She mustered the courage to yell and began running once more. She wasn't that far from Shogun, and Itsuki was there. Two people were more difficult to attack than one. But before she could even run a few meters, there he was again. And she crashed into his bulky frame, just as hard as the second time. The cut above her eyes bled even more and distorted her left eye's vision. She was shaking by now, and her tears wouldn't stop.

"W-what do you want f-from me??" she stammered, trying to gather whatever courage.

She stepped back from the big man, only to bump into the other guy, who was conveniently behind her.

"Why are you so afraid, hmm?" John, or whatever his name was, said, "Can't you see we're the victims here? We got the X mark and we're running away!"

His tone mocked her even more, and his companion laughed at the play.

Natsumi clenched her fist, "You can't fool me! Your cut is healed... that blood isn't yours! You're the guys who have been branding people!"

She bit her tongue. She wanted to hit herself. At a time like this, people should just give them what they wanted, and not create the atmosphere of more trouble.

The guy behind her grabbed her and wrapped his slithery arms around her. She struggled and tried to scream, but her voice was lost. She could hardly breathe.

"You're an observant one, eh?" he said, smiling, "We usually limit ourselves to five people a night for ten hands. And the last one you saw was the fifth. But tonight, I guess we could do 12 hands."

Her eyes widened as she violently shook her head, "I... I didn't see anything! I promise you! I just heard a scream and I ran away from it! You don't have to! Please don't!"

More and more tears came and she had even more trouble breathing. Her weak body was reacting to the fear she was feeling once again. She was definitely weak... she couldn't even run away, or kick them, or scream as loud as the previous victim. She didn't want to be cut... she had already had a nightmare about getting cut once before, and she couldn't sleep for a few more nights after that. Now this was reality... she wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Or maybe, since we've reached our quota for today, we can just do it tomorrow night? I mean... there's no hurry, is there?"

The thin man spoke with a malicious smile, but there was no reply. He looked around for his partner, but he was nowhere in sight. His grip loosened - loose enough for a normal human to have escaped. But Natsumi was a different case. If she couldn't even finish a game in Gym class, she definitely wasn't able to win this threat. The man's hand slithered up to her mouth to prevent her from screaming. He looked around, almost panicking, but his partner still hadn't shown.

"Yota? Where are you? This isn't funny, man!"

Natsumi realized that Yota was the real name of the big man. But that still wouldn't help her in this situation. But where had this man gone? Did he abandon his partner in crime? But after a few seconds of searching, the questions were answered. But after this, Natsumi would've wished that she hadn't put up a fight and just let them cut X's on her hands and anywhere they pleased.

The sound of bone cracking on the pavement made the man, along with Natsumi, turn around. And there was the Yota guy, on the floor, dead. Natsumi involuntarily analyzed again. The man's blood was spilling just now, after the sound of cracking bones, and the cemented pavement was broken... which meant that he didn't just drop dead right there. He fell from a high place... The sky?

"Yota!"

The guy yelled for his companion, as if he could still wake up and run away. Two silhouettes approached from afar. Natsumi couldn't see them clearly, until they were much closer, under the streetlamp. A man and a woman... both very beautiful.

The man was tall. He was very muscular and well-built. He wore a black vest that had different shapes with different colors. He wore white pants and weird shoes. But his face was beautiful. He had flawless, almost ivory, skin, and his eyes were merely slits. She couldn't tell what color they were. He had make-up on his face too... two shapes that were found on his shirt as well. And his hair... light auburn... almost orange... was spiked up, but still seemed soft to the touch.

The woman was enchanting. Everything from her eyes to her lips, even to her nose, spelled perfection. She was well-endowed, which made Natsumi slightly conscious of being beside her. She was wearing a traditional short kimono, which usually meant that she was a kunoichi, a female ninja. Her long hair was tied in upward spikes. She looked dangerous, which probably made men swoon over her.

"You... Spider..."

The thin man seemed to acknowledge that he knew the two newcomers, although he seemed quite afraid of them. Natsumi didn't know what was going on, but her captor's reaction seemed to make her afraid of both parties. She didn't know if she was being saved, or if they just wanted to kill the guy, not bothering if she got hurt in the process.

"Won't you come with us without struggling? Your partner here, resisted, and look at what happened to him."

The girl spoke in such a calm but deadly tone. If it were Natsumi who she was talking to, she would've surrendered at the first word. But this guy was persistent.

"I've got a hostage, you see?! I won't hurt her. Let's see if we can come to an agreement."

The handsome man glanced at Natsumi. If her heart wasn't beating as fast before, now it could cause her a heart attack. He looked at her like she didn't even notice she was there before. Then he smiled a sly smile and looked at the woman beside him.

"Oh, a hostage, he says. He seems to know who we are, but not what we can do... or what we care about."

Natsumi found herself swallowing hard. What they CARE about? It's like he's saying that she wasn't important... And for some unknown reason, she snapped.

"How dare you..." she spoke, her voice starting out soft, seeking momentum. Everyone's eyes were on her as she continued, "How dare you! I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't know what your purpose in life is. But I am a living, breathing human being! And it doesn't matter what you care about, but you cannot say that I am insignificant or unimportant!"

Tears stung her eyes, and at this point, she let them fall freely. Through the blurry vision, she could see the man's eyebrows raise instinctively in amusement. The woman's face still remained unfazed and uncaring.

Natsumi looked at the floor, avoiding any more eye contact. She didn't want to die. But after using her big mouth, she doubted that they'd still let her leave alive. A light breeze went past her, making her hair sway with it.

Her captor's grip had loosened... or had completely gone. His arms fell limp on his sides, and soon after, he fell on the floor. Natsumi turned to face him, her hands covering her mouth in shock. A playing card was embedded on his forehead... and it was in there deep. It was sharp and thin, disallowing much blood to pour out of the incision. The light breeze that she had just felt wasn't really a breeze... but the card flying past her head. She mentally slapped herself to stop her mind from studying the situation. She turned to look at the man and woman, but the woman had already gone.

The man, whom her brain had registered as a jester, stood still with his eyes on her. His lips were curled in an abnormal smile. For some reason, Natsumi felt like she wasn't out of danger just yet.

"That was quite a speech you made there, little girl."

His voice was playful and cheery, the type that made you put your guard up at all times... the type that gave you goosebumps just thinking about it. He took a few steps forward to her, but she couldn't pull away. It was as if she was being drawn to him... like an unseen force tied her to place. He lifted a finger and slowly reached for her face. She held her breath as she watched him move. He was even more bewitching up close.

He tapped his finger on the wound above her eye, making her flinch. He retracted his finger and put it in his mouth.

"Your blood is tasty. It's sweet."

Her cheeks burned red as she backed away a few steps. He seemed even more amused by her reaction.

"W-hy... why did you...kill... these two... men?"

She couldn't think straight or talk properly. All that was in her mind was this man's enchanting presence... and the fear that came along looking at him.

He chuckled in that mocking tone of his and looked at the two men, as if disgusted by the mere sight of them. Then he looked back at her.

"Hmm? No 'thank you' for saving your life?"

Natsumi narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't save my life... You just wanted to get these two... You can't be the police because they wouldn't outright kill..."

"Hmm, very true." he pretended to think about it, "Correct and correct and correct. But then, it could be that I was just hitting two birds with one stone. Killing him and saving you at the same time. Couldn't it be that way?"

"That's... too convenient. You didn't even think about it. With a kill like that, you're an experienced killer." she pointed at the sharp playing card.

There was silence for a moment. He stared at her with that passive yet penetrating smile of his. She could feel her heart longing attention. The beats were too strong, she swore her heart could pop out soon.

"You say that I'm an experienced killer so casually. And yet your body says you're quite afraid of me. Nothing I haven't seen before, though. You remind me of that short boy and his blond companion."

Another moment of silence, and another staring game initiated by his eyes. She didn't understand him. Short boy? Blond companion? Was he crazy? Wasn't he tired of smiling? Natsumi looked away.

"I... I have to go. Thank you, then... S-see... see you..."

She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could, grabbing her bag where she had left it. She didn't turn back. She didn't want to. Whatever she felt back there, it resembled fear too much that she didn't even want to delve into the situation. She'd have time to think about it before going to bed. But right now... her mother would surely question the cut and the blood and the tattered clothes.

_His face..._ she thought, _his face is unreadable._

--

End of chapter!

How was that? Wow, that surely took me long to write. I really AM rusty. Oh well.

Please review! I'm so excited to read your feedback. :P And if you have any suggestions as to how the romance will develop from here, I'll appreciate it!

N. Hubris.


	2. A Second Time, A Second Knight

Hello there again, people!

I've got some ideas about how the story will progress, but I haven't really worked it out. So let's just let my fingers do the talking for now, and let's see if some magic will come out of em!

I just also recently realized how difficult it would be to really keep Hisoka in character... I just can't imagine him wanting anything other than a good fight. But then again, I'll be watching videos of him flirting with Machi, so that might help me a bit. :D

I also forgot... last chapter:

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter or any of its characters. I own Natsumi Hasegawa, though.

Okay. Off you go, chapter two!

--

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 2: A Second Time, A Second Knight  
**

--

_The stench of fear,_

_The smell of defeat,_

_A trail pursued by this predator_

_How stupid of me..._

_To have given myself away._

_--_

There was a knock at the door, and as if on cue, a loud alarm clock went off. It was still dark out, but it was already morning. 6:00 AM to be exact, two hours before school started. This was Natsumi's daily routine. And she was about to do the same for today.

She got up and pressed the snooze button on the digital clock, yawning as she walked to the door. Her hair was a total mess, even Albert Einstein would be ashamed. Grabbing a hair tie off her study table, she tied her hair and walked out the room. Then, an unfamiliar sound of something frying and the smell of something burning caught her attention. In an instant, she ran to the kitchen, which was just the room beside hers. And there her mother stood, her face full of confusion and uncertainty. She yanked her mother aside as she looked at what should've been breakfast. Around three burnt eggs were laid out on the sticky frying pan. The way they smelled then, she could tell they weren't edible anymore.

"Mom," Natsumi cried in desperation, scraping the bottom of the pan and setting it in the sink, making it hiss with the contact with water, as steam went up to the ceiling, "Oops."

Natsumi grabbed the window frame and threw it open, letting the smoke escape through the screen. She sighed. She turned around and leaned on the counter with her arms crossed, eyeing her mother like a hawk.

"What?" her mother asked, like a child playing innocent.

Natsumi shook her head.

Her mother looked just like her, only older and shorter. But her face still held youthful features, like wide eyes and a bright smile. She was beautiful. Her hair was beautiful, too. Long and smooth. She got that from her.

"You know what." Natsumi said, sounding more like a police officer pulling someone over for speeding.

"You were sound asleep, and I wanted to cook your breakfast for you for a change."

"Mom, I told you not to cook, didn't I? And you knocked on my door, didn't you? I told you that you don't need to wake me up anymore. You came home late last night, so you should sleep in for today. You should take care of yourself before taking care of anyone else."

Her mother wasn't convinced.

"Oh, I got the sleep I needed."

"Two hours of sleep isn't even close to what you need, you know. Go back to bed. I'll fix you some food. Heat it up when you wake up later."

That was the end of the discussion, and her voice was assertive about it. Her mother sighed and complied, getting back to her room.

Natsumi shook her head, eyeing the eggs.

"What a waste, Mom." she whispered to herself.

"Yes?"

Her mother's head popped out of the corner with expecting eyes.

"Get back to bed, please! I was talking to myself!"

Natsumi turned and gave her a soft glare. Her mother disappeared again.

--

She was walking to school now. It was a 15-minute walk, but she liked the exercise. Besides, she needed the "work out" because of her frail frame. Although it never really helped her in any way.

But she also liked the quiet environment. Her area wasn't the safest in the neighborhood, but it was pretty peaceful early in the morning. It gave her ample time to think things through, or at least rest her head, which was always working. So now she had the time to think about what happened last night. She had told herself that she'd recall everything before going to bed, but she had studying to do, and her mind was also preoccupied with waiting for her mother to arrive. That was actually one of the things she liked about herself. She could put her feelings on hold when she needed to study, or do something very important. Her mother described her as a "machine," doing work without feeling.

Well, if only her mother knew how much tears she had shed last night, when she thought that her life line was about to be cut by unknown strangers... no dignity or honor at all in her deathbed.

But who wouldn't have cried? Maybe it was easy for her to put off her tears for a day or two if she needed to do something for her mother. She was doing well in school for her mother. She was working in that convenience store for her mother. She was living, basically, for her mother. She was the parent, and her mother was the child. For her mother. For her mother. And more for her mother.

She had squeezed out every drop of her blood for someone else, and not for herself.

Maybe that's why she couldn't stop herself from crying the night before. It was the first time ever that she had cried for herself...

But setting that aside, it was a good thing that she had enough time to fix herself up before her mother arrived. She was pretty used to covering up cuts and bruises because she got them all the time from Gym class. A cut above the eye wasn't difficult to fix. But it was pretty deep. Deeper than she had realized.

And then the unknown man's face came to her.

Images of the incident flashed in her mind, each scene as vivid as the previous one. She had a knack for remembering numbers and pictures in her head, almost like photographic memory in nature, but not really. She'd forget things like any other person in a few days. But for around two days, she could remember everything as clear as day, down to the last "pixel."

She recalled the big man... crushed on the pavement. It was impossible. She felt queasy thinking about the dead bodies... did HE clean them up? She had witnessed two murders without even knowing what happened. If she went to the police, she wouldn't really be of much help.

But the man and the woman... they weren't normal. They were... superhuman?

Yota, the big guy, was... yes, big. But merely falling down wouldn't have broken the pavement. She had to be right about his having fallen from a high place. But how did he get so far up? Did the two newcomers throw him up in the air, like in the movies? No... impossible.

And how about the card in the guy's forehead? She shuddered again and felt sick at the thought of a dead man's arms around her. He DIED while clutching her. She felt like there was a layer of blood, of dirt, on her arms, although not a drop of his blood really found its way on her. Did the handsome man throw that card at him? With surprising accuracy... He reminded her of Gambit from the X-Men.

She shook her head and almost laughed. What irony. The X-Men? And now the people had X's on their palms? And then there's this guy who had the uncanny ability of throwing cards, like Gambit, her favorite X-Men character.

Well, It SHOULD be the handsome man, because he had playing card symbols all over his clothes. It was like he was giving himself away. Unless, he had no problem about giving himself away because anyone who knew wouldn't be able to last a few hours… or minutes… or seconds.

"Oh, darn it."

Natsumi stomped her foot on the pavement and crossed her arms, stopping for a while in frustration. She was rambling on and on again. She'd have to pay attention to the roads, or she'd get lost again, which was seriously stupid, because she'd been passing the same place for years. But if she had inherited a shred of her mother's cluelessness about things, it was her sense of direction... or the lack of it. She couldn't piece a map together if her life depended on it.

She glanced up. Her school was already in sight, and it was still 7:25.

35 minutes before school started.

She usually went to the library, which opened earlier for people like her. She liked it in there too. It was quiet. And there were computers she could use. She didn't have one at home, but she didn't really _have _to buy herself one if she could use one here.

She entered through the main door and, as usual, she was the only one there, aside from the librarian.

The librarian was a young woman, only around 5 years her senior. She had started working there a few years back, when she moved in with her boyfriend in town. She was a nice lady, and she didn't bother Natsumi.

"Good morning," Natsumi smiled.

The librarian smiled back but didn't say anything. She bent down to switch on more lights for her.

The library of the school was grand. And it should be, taking into account the reputation of the school. For rich kids. Nobody really used the computers there because they all had their own laptops. But Natsumi was happy for that. A computer was always available for her use.

There were lots of books too, on shelves that reached the ceiling. To date, she has borrowed and read 569 books, around only a tenth of all the books and publications the library had. She wanted to reach 600 before her last year ended.

She switched on the computer and checked her e-mails. Most of them were from her school friends, asking about homework. But majority were invites to parties around and outside of town. She never really liked those things. She didn't enjoy dressing up. Jeans and a shirt and rubber shoes suited her just fine. And she didn't have to think much before putting them on.

Then she stopped. There was an e-mail from an unknown individual. She was sure that her spam filter functioned pretty well, so it must be a real message. The sender's name was curiously unusual, just two initials, "K.K." with no subject but her name, "Natsumi."

She clicked on it, and the page loaded. And a chill ran up her spine.

_Natsumi-san,_

_This message is encrypted._

_I know what happened tonight._

_You are not safe._

_They think you're with THEM. They think you killed their men, and they will find you soon._

_Do not go to school tomorrow. They will surely be there._

_I will wait for you in the cafe across Shogun. 7 AM._

_ K.K._

Her hands shook as she logged out and shutdown the computer.

'What?' she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the computer screen. It was still warm.

She's in trouble? She shouldn't be in school right now? She should be in the cafe across Shogun? And who did the person mean by "THEM?" And judging by the way the person had written the message, which was in present tense, it had been sent since last night.

She glanced at her watch. 7:45 AM, 15 minutes before class. Should she go? Her heart raced. She was going to faint again, and she knew it. She took deep breaths, trying to see clearly. Cold sweat covered her face and neck. That wasn't a good sign. She really _was_ going to pass out, wasn't she?

"May I help you?"

The sudden distant sound of the librarian's voice alarmed her. Someone else was in the library. She was behind the wooden computer tables, so they wouldn't see her. She peeked through the side, but the help desk was too far for her to see clearly.

She made out two tall figures... dressed in casual clothing. They seemed young. Then the librarian pointed to her direction. And she panicked. They were here for her. Was the e-mail real after all? How many hours ago was it sent? Was she too late?

"May I ask what your concern is with her?" the librarian spoke, suspicious.

But neither of the men replied. Instead, one of them simply raised a hand, and she suddenly passed out. Natsumi gasped as she leaned on the computer table on the floor, hoping they hadn't seen her. But the librarian had pointed her out, didn't she? She was in trouble. She knew it.

'Please don't pass out!' she yelled in her head.

She crawled across the floor, remaining behind the tables. She could hear their footsteps coming closer. She looked around, then found what she was looking for. The student bathroom. There was a window in one of the cubicles, big enough for her to fit through. If she was fast enough, maybe she could escape.

'If I am fast enough...' she repeated to herself.

She reached the end of the series of tables. After this, she would surely be seen. She took a runner's stance - the stance that professional track & field racers took before the gunshot signal. Maybe she would be as fast as them too. She closed her eyes and prayed. Then, with a swift kick from the floor, she ran for the bathroom door.

"There she is!"

One of the men went after her. She could feel him hot on her trail. She scurried past the bookshelves. The bathroom was closer now. But it everything seemed to happen like last night.

She crashed into the second man who was apparently waiting for her behind one of the shelves. She was running too fast to stop and turn. And he caught her with his big arms.

"Whoa there. Don't give us a difficult time now, honey. We're not going to hurt you."

She screamed for help, but no one was around. Her head was spinning. She hit her head on his torso harder than she had thought. She tried to squirm away from his grip, but he was just too strong.

"What do you want from me?!" she yelled, biting his arm. But he didn't even flinch. He was inhuman.

He dragged her, chuckling his way to the door with his partner. She could see the X marks on their palms as well.

They made use of the "buddy system," she mused. Two people were assigned to be partners, just like whenever they had a field trip. Only, she had read that in underground alliances, probably like those X people, when they were paired up, they were paired for life. If one died, the other would be discharged from their post.

"You might want to let her go if you value your life. Or your partner's." a new voice surfaced.

The two men and Natsumi turned around to see the intruder. But she already knew who it was. She would never forget that voice... the mocking tone and the smooth words.

And sure enough, it was him. Only, he wasn't wearing his jester outfit today. He was wearing a uniform... the boy's uniform from her school. A plain white polo shirt with a single pocket on the left chest with the school emblem, and a midnight blue blazer, also with the school emblem on the collar. Black pants and black leather shoes completed the outfit. What was WITH this guy?

"Don't interfere, boy! If this is your girlfriend, it's best to forget about her."

She blinked. Surely they didn't believe he was a student? Or even her age?? But apparently these men didn't know a thing.

"Oh, my girlfriend. That's an amusing way to put it. Won't you let my significant other go?" His voice was melodramatic.

Natsumi's cheeks burned, not because of flattered emotions, but because of embarrassment. She's never had a boyfriend. Sure, there'd be guys asking her out every now and then, but no one ever swept her off her feet. She didn't have the time and the emotional space for them anyway.

"Just shoot this punk!" the man who held her called out to his partner.

The other man obliged and drew his pistol to shoot.

"Any last words, boy?"

The "boy" smiled.

"Yes, quite a mouthful, actually."

In a blink of an eye, a card found its way to the man's hand and gun. It had split the metal into two and went through the man's knuckles. He yelped in pain as he held his wrist tightly to stop the bleeding. The man who held her looked fearfully at the card man.

"You... you aren't a student! You're one of the Spiders!"

And the handsome man sighed as if disappointed. He drew another card and twirled it around his fingers. It didn't seem sharp as he held it.

"You're quite the slowpoke, aren't you? I'd love to finish you off. You're clutching my dearest so close to you that I'm deadly envious. But then again..."

He trailed off as his eyes slowly glanced to his side, to the big window of the library. Natsumi followed his sight and stared at the sky. In a split second, a figure jumped in sight and broke the window. The impact was strong, making a few shards of glass fly their way, cutting Natsumi's leg and creating a small gash on her cheek. She closed her eyes to prevent any from getting in her eyes. Then, when all the commotion was over, she opened them again.

She gasped when she saw chains enveloping her captor and his partner. The man who had jumped in wore a strange suit, she couldn't even describe it. But the chains came from his hands... as if they were a part of him, and he was in full control of them. He glanced at the card boy, and his eyes suddenly reverted to a red color. The wind blew, and his short blond hair flailed with it.

"What- What is this?!" her captor instinctively let her go, and she fell on her hands and knees, creating more cuts because of the glass.

"Come over here." the new guy spoke with authority that she couldn't help but obey.

Without hesitation, she ran to him, passing by the handsome man on her way. They looked at each other as she passed, and he bowed down low with one hand on his stomach and another behind his back, like a gentleman in the old days.

She went behind the blond boy and clutched his shirt in defense. She looked up at him. He wasn't sweating at all, and his breathing was steady. She looked back at the men who wanted to take her. They were still wrapped in chains, which seemed to get tighter and tighter.

"Did Alexander send you two?"

The two men didn't say anything. They looked at each other. Natsumi could read their expressions. Apparently, death was more appealing to them than feeling the wrath of this Alexander person if he found out that they squealed.

The blond boy pulled on the chains, making them tighter. The two men groaned in pain.

"Of course he sent you two," he said threateningly, "Who else would? Will you tell me what I need to know, or would you really prefer death?"

They still didn't answer. The chains grew tighter. They screamed again. Natsumi could hear their bones cracking.

"Stop it!" she yelled out, clutching his shirt tighter for attention. He turned around and looked at her, confused.

"What?" he breathed out.

"Don't kill them," she said, a few tears made themselves known. She couldn't believe what she was saying either.

"They just tried to kill you. If HE didn't arrive sooner," he pointed to the handsome man, "you'd be dead by now."

Natsumi bit her lip.

_Dead by now_.

The words didn't appeal to her. And she let his shirt go. What authority did she have over this guy? He had come here to save her life after all… at least she thought so.

"Fine," she whispered, "I saw death twice last night. What's a third and fourth time?"

She turned around and closed her eyes. Setting her hands to cover her ears, she gritted her teeth.

After a few seconds, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw the blond boy looking at her with sober eyes. She glanced behind him. The two men were alive, but barely breathing. She could tell what his expression told her. "They can't run away anyway." Her body jerked away from his touch. She was shaking again, the fear etched in her face. Card boy was still there, his arms crossed, watching the two men squirm in pain on the floor, as if observing some boring bacteria under the microscope. Then, as if he knew she was staring at him, he turned to her.

"You're really a lucky one. It's a talent, I dare say." he smirked and went closer.

Natsumi took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

"Are you... K.K.?" she asked, as if longing to hear a yes. But he looked at the blond boy, who grabbed her shoulder and pushed her behind her.

"No. I am," he said, looking threateningly to the other man, "I sent you that e-mail last night. And this man right here is one of the Genei Ryodan. He is dangerous. Stay as far away from him as possible."

Natsumi suddenly felt like she was dreaming. Two handsome men were here before her, and they both acknowledged that they knew each other. One of them was obviously protecting her, like a white knight in shining armor. And the other man seemed like he was a phantom that came just in the nick of time – a dark knight. Whatever happened in the last 12 hours for things to turn out this way? She could see the broken glass on the floor, the unconscious librarian, and the blood stains. With the racket they've caused, surely people were on their way to check. She'd be ruined. Her scholarship seemed to disappear before her eyes. And the first thing in her mind was to run... like her mother said.

She turned on her heel and ran to the bathroom door, reviving her first plan. But the boy who called himself K.K. was quick, and she barely ran a meter when his arm snaked its way to her torso. He clutched her to him like a child would to a favorite doll.

"There are more of them, Natsumi-san. If you run away, they will definitely find you. Please stay with me, and you'll be safe."

But he might as well had left out his polite "please" and carried her away. He was stronger than he looked. He dragged her with him as he walked to the main door. His eyes never left the other man.

And Natsumi didn't know what to do. They had both saved her life, and one of them was taking her away. She didn't know where she was going. In a wave of confusion and desperation, she stretched her arms out to him with a pleading face.

"Gambit..."

Her cheeks stained themselves pink once more. She said it out loud, her very thoughts about him. And the fact that she had a name for him meant that she had been thinking more about him than she should have been. The last time they spoke, she was stammering and crying... and she couldn't look at him straight in the eyes. And yet now, for some odd reason, seeing him showing up and saving her life a second time... What now?

But he seemed amused at the nickname. He merely chuckled and grinned as the blond boy dragged her away.

"So, it's my turn to say 'see you.' Don't be thinking about me too much 'til then." And he gave her a single wave, chuckling as the blond boy glared at him and exited the building.

--

End of chapter.

And voila! There's number two! How was it? I hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it. :D I'm getting the hang of it again!

Sigh. It annoys me that Natsumi still doesn't know their names. So I was resigned to calling the people "card man" and "blond boy." But you guys know who I'm talking about anyway. Yay!

Please review! It would be greatly appreciated. :D


	3. The Preliminaries

Okay, is it just me, or was Chapter 2 just… not good? I guess I hadn't put enough thought in it. But anyway, I'll seriously try my best to make this chapter a lot better. It's just that I've been hella busy, because we've got lots of visitors in the house. So I've been cooking more than I usually do.

Waaaah. Okay, I've got great reviews from lotsa people. And I wanna thank them!

Lumi75: Thanks! You've given me great ideas. I'll be commending you when I use them! And I'm actually excited about it! Heehee.

Vampirerulez: I'm trying my best to post my chapters in a good pace, and thanks for encouraging me. I have yet to read more of your story!

Tsubasa Suzane: Thanks! It feels good to be put on those alerts. :D

Anyway… I find it so funny that I used "white knight" and "dark knight." I just watched The Dark Knight last week and I just couldn't help but use it. Teehee!

Anyway again…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter. However, I do own Natsumi.

On with the story!

* * *

Previously:

_And Natsumi didn't know what to do. They had both saved her life, and one of them was taking her away. She didn't know where she was going. In a wave of confusion and desperation, she stretched her arms out to him with a pleading face._

_"Gambit..."_

_Her cheeks stained themselves pink once more. She said it out loud, her very thoughts about him. And the fact that she had a name for him meant that she had been thinking more about him than she should have been. The last time they spoke, she was stammering and crying... and she couldn't look at him straight in the eyes. And yet now, for some odd reason, seeing him showing up and saving her life a second time... What now?_

_But he seemed amused at the nickname. He merely chuckled and grinned as the blond boy dragged her away._

_"So, it's my turn to say 'see you.' Don't be thinking about me too much 'til then." And he gave her a single wave, chuckling as the blond boy glared at him and exited the building._

* * *

She stared at him from the corner of her eyes, fighting the urge to look at him fully from the passenger seat. He was young, this blond boy. If not for the creases his face had for intensely looking at the road, she would've believed he was her age. Maybe he was. She wanted to ask, to speak… but his grim expression prevented any form of communication, for now.

So she held her tongue, waiting for him to break the silence himself. She bit her lower lip, just in case her urge to speak betrayed her. But after a while, she wished she hadn't done that.

The boy abruptly stepped on the brakes after the stoplight turned red, and Natsumi flew to the windshield, hitting her head on the glass and biting her lip at the same time.

"OOOOUUUUUCCHHHHHH!!"

She yelled as soon as the car stopped. She felt queasy. She felt cold, metallic fingers wrap around her arm and gently set her back to the seat.

"Didn't anyone tell you what seatbelts are for?" he said, sounding frustrated as he reached across her and snapped her seatbelt on for her.

"Ish gween." She said, her lip bleeding over her uniform, making her curious as to how a simply bite on her lip gave out so much blood.

"What?" he looked at her, confused.

She rolled her eyes and pointed at something across the windshield.

"Wuh shtoffwight. Ish gweeen! Ugh… dawit."

He turned where she was pointing and realized that she was referring to the stoplight, and that it had turned green. The car behind him honked, and he abruptly pressed on the gas to move forward.

The engine roared – as it should; it was a black sports car nonetheless. Natsumi didn't know what brand it was, since she didn't really make it a point to know such things, but she was sure it was expensive. The leather seats and the mere sound of the engine made her – and everyone else in its proximity – know of its exclusivity. And it made her involuntarily shudder.

"Sorry about your lip. I'll fix that up later… along with those other cuts you got from the window."

She nodded, unable to talk. Now that her brain had more time to function, the wave of pain from her abused lip struck her like cold water. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair, using the collar of her uniform's blazer to absorb the gushing blood.

After about ten minutes, they stopped before another red light. Then, he turned to her.

"You're a bleeder." He said casually. So casually, in fact, that Natsumi almost forgot the intense expression he had on a while back.

"It's better now," she said, releasing her grip from her lip, "I've actually bled more from a less formidable wound. Well… bleeding sure was a good way to break the ice…"

"When you got cut by the shards of glass from the window, I thought you were just unlucky… But now, having seen how you got that cut on your lip, I'm beginning to think you're prone to these things…"

"Yes, well… You got me. Now, if you please… You know my name and where I study… May I know a bit about you?"

He chuckled.

"My name is Kurapika… Last night, I was hired to protect you by the government. The man after you is-"

"Alexander…"

He looked at her in awe.

"A normal teenaged girl wouldn't be so keen to others' conversations when her life is in danger…"

"And a normal teenaged girl wouldn't be so idiotic about what a seatbelt was for…"

He looked at her again, confused. She sighed.

"I've… never ridden a car before… Just the bus."

"But buses have seatbelts now, don't they?"

She cocked her head to the side.

"Ohhh. So that was what those things were for!"

Kurapika chuckled heartily, almost awkwardly. She could tell that he wasn't used to laughing, or at least smiling.

"The file they gave me about you showed that you were a smart student… but perhaps your intelligence makes up for your lack of physical command…"

She toyed with her fingers, tracing the dried blood on her palms.

"My mother says that a lot…"

"We're here." He said, ignoring her sudden self-conscious face.

He parked into one of the parking spaces in a basement and left the car, opening her door for her to step out. But she was still there, her eyes squinted in thought.

"Is everything alright?"

Her cheeks were red, her face looking embarrassed. She toyed with her fingers even more.

"Umm… well… I don't know how to…"

She tugged on the seatbelt and looked at him apologetically. And he burst out laughing, trying to keep from being too loud. She looked down, feeling embarrassed about her predicament. But after a few more seconds of laughing, he finally unbuckled it for her, and she jumped out.

"That was… a very claustrophobic experience for me… Oh no…" she said, shaking herself.

"What is it?"

"My backpack… I left it in the library…"

"It's fine. The clean-up party came right after we left. They must have it with them."

"When can I get it back?"

"Tomorrow morning, when you go to school."

"That's too late…" she said in disappointment, ignoring the fact that he said she still had to attend her classes, despite her life being in danger. She could tell that he would be her – and she muffled a laugh because of the word – bodyguard, and thus would be in school while she was in class.

"We'll get it to you before your first class."

"But I need it…"

"Why?" he asked, sensing an abnormal surge of urgency in her voice.

She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, thinking deeply.

"I have three tests tomorrow. I... need to study."

And Kurapika looked at her in disbelief, stifling a laugh. He shook his head and walked off to the lobby.

* * *

_Your eyes,_

_Your lips,_

_Your voice,_

_Your face…_

_It is impossible to believe_

_That perfection like you_

_Can even recognize_

_The likes of me_

* * *

The big room was dark, but the group of people inside didn't seem to be bothered by it. There were more men than there were women, but a normal person wouldn't even see anything but shadows to know the difference. But they spoke to each other, as if they could see every countenance worn by every single one.

It was difficult to know what they were talking about. They all spoke in such calm and hushed tones that even animals with bionic ears couldn't muster their words. But they seemed to hear each other as clear as day.

After a few minutes, a sliding door creaked open, making a loud rusty sound that brought all attention to the newcomer. The light from the door penetrated the entire room, revealing it to be a small warehouse full of crates and wooden containers.

"You're late, Hisoka," a woman's deadly voice came loudly.

The man named Hisoka entered without flinching despite her icy tone. He had a smile on his face. He had a heavy-looking pink backpack with him as well. He shrugged and didn't say anything as he walked to a crate, jumping on top of it to sit down. He took a deck of cards and began building a pyramid. Everyone seemed annoyed.

"The Kashmire Academy's uniform? And a pink backpack? What's up with that, Hisoka?" a rough man's voice suddenly surfaced after the long silence, pointing to his attire and the unusually large pink thing he was lugging around.

"Hmm, I forgot to change and to hide it... I suppose I did give myself away this time."

His voice was playful, as if openly mocking everyone he spoke to. But the others seemed used to it – although still suspicious, dissecting his every single word.

"And what were you doing all the way there?" the man continued, obviously looking for a reason to fight.

"Well… that's my little secret."

In a split second, a sharp metallic weapon flew in his direction, which he caught in between his two fingers just an inch from his eye. He threw it back to its source, who caught it back and hid it away – the woman who had spoken earlier.

"Rubbish, Hisoka. No secrets are allowed among us. Answer Nobunaga's question."

Hisoka chuckled and apparently gave in.

"Anything for you, Machi, my dear kunoichi," he reveled in his little rhyme, "His boys were there. Such a disappointment, really. So very weak and easily fooled. He might as well make it an open club to all, young and old!"

He laughed merrily to himself, apparently amused with the little joke he had made.

A girl with a sweet voice laughed along with him.

"Shizuku!" someone snapped at her.

The girl immediately silenced herself.

"I'm sorry… It was… a little funny." She smiled in apology, trying to defend herself.

Hisoka stopped when he realized that no one was laughing along with him anymore. He softly pouted, like a child finding no one to play with.

The group thought well and hard about his statement. They seemed to know who and what Hisoka referred to as "he" and "it." Finally, a small boy, who wore some form of bandanna over the lower half of his face, walked into view. Calmly and silently, he garnered everybody's full attention.

"So, Alexander has made his move again. But in broad daylight?" he spoke, his voice soft but sharp.

Hisoka stacked a few more cards before answering. After all, the question was obviously directed only to him.

"Yes, well…" he pretended to think about it, "They seemed to be after something."

"Something?" the boy echoed, hesitant to believe the clown.

"Hmm…" Hisoka prolonged the conversation, deeming it fun, "Well, more of someone. Oh, it would be too funny. If she were here right now, she'd most likely get upset over my words… calling her 'something' than 'someone.' Oh yes… how amusingly delectable she would be."

It seemed as if he were talking to himself then, imagining something that no one else could figure out. But his actions and words did not make anyone flinch, even as he described a human to be "delectable," as if she were food. They were unfazed. Apparently, finding someone appetizing in a different context was something this man was always guilty of.

"So, a girl then. Alexander is officially targeting a single individual. And from Kashmire Academy, too!" a boy's young voice boomed out loud.

"Yeah, so that means she must be worth something…" another voice went off, and soon, everyone began talking as well.

"Well, this is Alexander we're talking about. The eccentric fool. She might not be worth anything at all! Just a game of his, I bet."

"But to target just one person… couldn't it be personal?"

"It could be… what can a student do to provoke such interest?"

"Maybe not the student… maybe her parents!"

"That's right. That's very logical. Maybe her parents had a little trouble with Alexander…"

"Yeah! She could be the punishment for such trouble!"

"Wait a minute!"

Everyone went silent.

The short boy turned to Hisoka, who seemed to suddenly turn serious. They eyed each other, waiting for one of them to make a move. And then the boy spoke.

"The girl," he began, "is from Kashmire Academy. She is from such a place, so it should have been easy to get to her. And yet we haven't heard about anything of the sort. Not from the news, not from anyone."

"What are you getting at, Feitan?" Shizuku, the soft-spoken girl asked.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves here. Either Hisoka is being his compulsive liar self… or the girl in question had a little help in escaping from her pursuers."

Everyone's eyes were on both of them. Despite the intensity of the gaze of that boy, Hisoka still had that mocking smile on his face – etched permanently, it seemed.

"Wow… you amaze me, young little Feitan. That little brain of yours sure works wonders," Hisoka finally said. "Surprisingly, there's no lie from my mouth today. The blond boy helped her out. She's with him right now, I suppose."

Machi, who seemed to have watched everything silently, now spoke up again.

"The blond boy… The Kuruta boy," she analyzed aloud, "And the girl from Kashmire Academy. Last night, that girl wore a similar uniform. He is after her?"

"Indeed, he is." He replied, seemingly happy that she had spoken to him again.

"Feitan," she turned to the boy, "that girl is worth nothing. I saw her last night. She was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Then what makes her so special now, that even the blond boy has taken her for himself?"

Hisoka chuckled to himself, catching attention once more.

Machi growled, but she still seemed seductive no matter what she did.

"What do you know, Hisoka?" she voiced, losing whatever patience she had.

"Now, now, kitty. Lay down your claws," he sang in reply. "I know nothing. I simply overheard that Alexander was after something – oops, someone - important, and I was curious. That's all I know, so that's all I can tell."

The atmosphere became stiff. It was very difficult, even for someone who didn't know Hisoka, to believe his words. The way he spoke simply made someone doubt everything he said. Even the truth, with his voice and the smooth words, would sound like a grave lie.

"Alright then," Feitan spoke, as if tentatively believing him, "If getting to that girl means getting to Alexander…"

Everyone seemed to understand, and everyone nodded in mutual agreement. In a split second, everyone except for Feitan and Hisoka disappeared in a haze, one after the other, as if dematerializing in thin air. They all had something to do, to prepare, for whatever he wanted them to.

And the two had a staring fest once more, before the young bandit disappeared as well. Alone, Hisoka chuckled to himself, standing up and slinging the backpack on his shoulder.

"Well, I'll be paying someone a visit as well."

* * *

End of chapter!

How was that?

Sigh… I suppose my story is moving at a glacial pace. That isn't annoying anyone, is it? Haha. I hope not.

But I promise, chapter 4, everything will unfold! And Hisoka and Natsumi will have more… motivating encounters! Muhahahaha. I'm actually writing Chapter 4 now, and so far, it's pretty cute! I hope you guys will think so too!

I'll soon be writing a HieixOC as well, so if you guys watch Yu Yu Hakusho, you should definitely read it. Yay!

Please read and review! Thanks!


	4. False Senses

And here is chapter 4!!

I'm seriously having difficulties with Hisoka's feelings. I think "Hisoka" and "feelings" don't even belong together in the same sentence! But for now, we shall have his mild teasing and weirdness.

So anyway…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. However, I do own Natsumi. :P

On with the chapter! :D

**Chapter 4: False Senses**

--

_If I were to give_

_My heart and soul away_

_For some little love in return_

_Will I get what I want?_

_Or will I die of crushed longing?_

--

Natsumi walked silently in the hallway, her back slumped over in exhaustion. It was still early in the morning, a few minutes before class began. She couldn't sleep a wink last night, not with all the thoughts that came every other second in waves. She sighed aloud. She entered the bathroom and leaned on one of the doors, looking at herself in the mirror. She grimaced.

Kurapika had given her a new set of uniforms, since no one, not even herself, could now enter their house. It was, surprisingly, tailored to fit… in other words, it fit her perfectly. Her old uniforms were too big for her, since she ordered them a size larger so that she didn't need to buy new ones when she grew taller. Her skirt was shorter, and her blazer fit in the right places and actually hugged her figure. And she grimaced once more.

She was surely going to get unwanted attention for this. Maybe, if she tied her hair in a geeky way…

Her thoughts were cut short when the door was pushed open. And once again, her classmates went in, giggling to whatever new gossip they had obtained. They stopped when they saw her there, and she felt a sudden burst of embarrassment. She had been staring at herself in the mirror, and she was sure that they saw her doing it. She smiled sheepishly, trying to distract them.

"Oh, hey, Natsumi! You weren't in school yesterday, were you?"

"Umm… N-no… I wasn't. What happened yesterday, though? Did I miss anything?" she said, trying to remove herself from the conversation.

They began fixing themselves up, blocking her view. She mentally rolled her eyes. It was typical for them to notice that she wasn't around, but not to ask why. For all they knew, she could've been sick.

"Nope, nothing much… Although…" one of the girls began, and another continued.

"Something happened in the library. Something like…"

"Defacing of school property. Some trick of some freshmen, I heard."

Natsumi involuntarily gulped.

"Oh… really? That's… not good," she replied, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, whatever. Nobody cares about the library anyway. I mean, everything's in the Internet!"

"Yeah! What need do we have for physical stuff when everything's online?"

"Totally."

They all paused. It took Natsumi a few seconds to realize that they were waiting for her to say something – to continue their lines of thought. She didn't even believe in what they were saying!

"Well… our school's gotta put all that money into something, right?"

And there was another pause. One of the girls turned to her. Natsumi knew her as the leader of the pack.

"You know what? You are so totally right. But anyway, did you see that hunk of a boy outside? He looks absolutely hot! So professional looking, and yet he's so young!"

She squealed in delight, and the other girls followed suit. Natsumi sighed. They weren't going to get any deeper than that, were they? But it occurred to her that they were most likely talking about Kurapika. She had forgotten that he was following her this morning.

She looked at her wrist. Next to her watch was a pink bracelet with a single ruby in the middle. It looked like an ordinary thing, well, to these rich kids at least, but she knew different. It was some sort of tracking device that Kurapika had asked her to wear. He'd know where she was at all times, and if she pressed the ruby like a button, she'd be able to talk to him. It also had some functions that he didn't explain to her, which made her glance at it every now and then, like it was heavy. She sighed again. It was like she was in a movie – a movie that she didn't want to be part of in the first place.

"Oh, Natsumi! I didn't notice until now… your uniform! It looks so perfect today!"

The girls looked at each other and giggled.

"Looks like someone's trying to impress someone!"

Natsumi's eye twitched. These girls were just too crazy for her. She just smiled, trying to avoid more conversation. If only they knew what she's been through these past 48 hours.

"Ooh! That's so adorable! Natsumi's crushing on someone!"

"N-no. It's not what you think." She spoke, raising her hands in front of her in defense. They seemed to walk slowly toward her, their faces scheming and interested.

"And when we came in here, you were staring at yourself in the mirror!"

"N-no… It's not like that! I was trying to see if… my skirt was too short. I think I need to pull it down." She seemed even more defenseless than when she was with those unknown men.

"Nonsense! I stare at myself in the mirror all the time! Nothing to be embarrassed about, Natsumi!"

"Yeah! And your skirt! The shorter the better!"

"Come on, girls! There's no way she'll impress some boy with her uniform alone! Let's give her a makeover right now!"

She shook her head as they all pulled her to the counter. They all pulled out their own makeup kits. Natsumi didn't even know where they pulled it out from, since they weren't carrying anything when they entered the bathroom in the first place.

Her heartbeat began to race as they all did whatever they could do to whatever part of her head they could get their grasps on.

All of a sudden, the door was kicked open, and in came Kurapika, rushing to the group. He looked around, and all the girls shrieked.

"The hot boy is a pervert!!"

"Where is Natsumi-san?!" he demanded.

He looked around, but all the girls crowded over her, as if protecting her from him. "What do you want from her, pervert?!"

Natsumi glanced at Kurapika in confusion.

"Natsumi-san is in this room, and her vitals say that her heartbeat has increased in pace tenfold. What have you done with her?!"

All the girls looked at each other, then began giggling to each other. They all parted in the middle, revealing a half-made-up Natsumi, with rollers on her hair and lipstick on her bottom lip. Kurapika stifled a laugh, trying to remain professional.

"Oh, I apologize. You're with your friends. I'll be outside."

He left awkwardly, and Natsumi could've sworn she heard him chuckle outside when the door was closed. She rolled her eyes. The girls went back to work.

"You KNOW that boy, Natsumi?!"

"Y-yes… I do…"

"Who is he? And why was he all stalker-ish?"

"He's… my bodyguard."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Natsumi sighed. At least in this school, bodyguards were as normal as daylight in a sunny afternoon.

"You're lucky! You've got a hot boy for a bodyguard! Mine is some dude who speaks with a weird accent. I don't even know where he's from. Did I mention he's butt-ugly?"

"Haha! Yeah, I've seen him! But I guess he isn't ugly enough for my bodyguard. He has the hots for him, apparently. Oh, my bodyguard's gay, by the way, Natsumi."

Natsumi's eye twitched. Again. She was NOT having this conversation with these girls. It was like a nightmare gone worse.

"There! All done!" they all yelled in unison. Natsumi celebrated in her head. She was a bit amused, though. The makeover was done in 5 minutes, tops. She had to give these girls more credit than she deemed worthy.

They all pushed her to the mirror, proud of their work. And Natsumi was almost impressed. Almost.

"Isn't it pretty, Natsumi? You look 5 years older! I bet even college boys would ask you out!"

Then, as if her stroke of luck had already run out, one of the girls took a digital camera out and snapped a picture of her.

"No!!" Natsumi shouted, trying to grab the camera from one of the girls. They all passed it from one to another, giggling at her.

"It was a cute picture, Natsumi! It really was!"

Natsumi stopped struggling and slapped her own face.

"Fine. Just… don't develop it or anything, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Good. Now, you guys better get to class…"

Without another word, the girls giggled their way out of the bathroom.

She looked at herself.

'Five years older, huh? Probably almost the same age as that guy…'

She shook her head. Then, turning the faucet on, she washed everything off.

--

The morning was dreadfully slow. When she came back to the classroom, the girls were creating a racket about ruining their "masterpiece," and how the guys wanted to see a made-up Natsumi. But she guessed her uniform had already garnered more attention than she had wanted. And she was glad she washed the make-up off.

She also had taken three tests, all of which she didn't prepare much for. Now she was definitely worried. It didn't help that she could sense her classmates, boys AND girls, looking back at her during the test. Even the teachers circled around her like a shark does to its food.

'Death to short skirts and tailored clothes,' she had chanted in her head throughout the entire day.

But it was finally lunchtime, and she was happier than ever. Natsumi slumped herself over the desk. Then, a shadow loomed over her. She glanced up. It was Kurapika.

She fell back down on the desk.

"My backpack didn't arrive. I had to BORROW a pen."

"Yes, your backpack wasn't there," he repeated.

'_I have an idea though,'_ he thought to himself, '_as to who has it.'_

"Then where is it?"

"We're working on that. But setting that aside, you have three options: Eat lunch with your friends. Eat lunch with me. Or eat by yourself."

She rolled her eyes.

"I don't eat lunch with anyone. So I would normally choose option three, which is to eat by myself. But then again, with the bodyguard thing… I'm sure option two and three are the same, except that in option two, we get to sit together, and in option three, you're some thirty feet away."

"With the few conversations you have with your friends, you sure are talkative."

"It depends on the person. And besides, your questions actually require more than a yes or a no."

"As is the usual case. So… you aren't interested in make-up and girly things, correct? Why'd you wash it off?"

"Make-up distracts the people you're talking to. And besides, I like pink. That's girly enough."

"Hmm…"

Natsumi sat back up and rubbed her tired eyes.

"Listen, Kurapika-san," she spoke, her voice also sounding tired, "I grab lunch from the cafeteria, then I bring my food to the benches beside the music room. Nobody ever stays there, so it's quiet, and I get some alone time. So-"

"You aren't allowed to eat anything from the cafeteria anymore."

"What?! I PAID for our meal plan. It wasn't covered by my scholarship. I'm getting my grub!"

"No. You're not 'getting your grub.' When I asked you HOW you'd like to eat, alone or otherwise, I didn't give you any option as to WHAT you were going to eat."

She narrowed her eyes.

"How would those X people even know what I was going to choose to eat out of that ENTIRE cafeteria? Do you even know how big our selection is?"

"They wouldn't know…"

"Exactly!"

He looked at her gravely. And it dawned on her.

"They wouldn't care… if all the students…?"

"You're obviously not taking this threat on your life seriously."

She rested her face on her palms.

"Then… Then why… are you still letting me go to school… When everyone's lives……."

And her eyes shot open. Her hands began shaking. She looked up at Kurapika, who had a soulful apologetic expression on his face. She backed away from him, knocking down a few chairs. The classroom was empty by then.

"I'm bait."

Even her words shocked her. She backed away even more, and she fell down after tripping on one of the chairs she previously knocked down.

"And you're not really my bodyguard…" she continued, despite having fallen down, "You're here to make sure that I don't ruin the government's plans to find Alexander. How could you?! All my friends, all my teachers! Their lives! How could you?!"

Tears began streaming down her eyes as she realized how big of a threat she was to even be in the premises of her school. All those people…

"At this point, Natsumi-san…" Kurapika finally replied. "There is nothing you can do. The protection of the students in this establishment is also our priority. You are simply our top priority as of this moment. Again, I will say this. There is nothing you can do about it."

She gritted her teeth.

"Is there really nothing?!"

He walked to her and reached out for her to take his hand. She looked away. He grabbed her anyway and forced her to stand up.

"Right now, you can do as I say. Eat lunch, or you won't have enough energy for your other tests. You don't want your schoolwork to falter, do you?"

She shook her head, like a kid giving up a lollipop for a carrot stick. He followed her out the room.

--

She waited for him on one of the benches, staring into space. Kurapika went to get their lunches from somewhere around the school, she didn't really care where. They were going to have "special" meals that were supposedly screened and tested. She wondered whether the way they "tested" her food was by tasting it. Testing by tasting. She chuckled at her own joke.

"Losing our sanity now, are we?"

She jumped out of her chair and turned around. And there he was.

"Gambit!"

A merry laugh was his response as he jumped on the bench with one foot and balanced himself. She gazed at him, the sun almost reflecting from his smooth ivory skin. He was still wearing her school's uniform. It was another set, she mused, because the logo of her school was slightly sewn on a farther side than the other one.

"Hisoka the Gambit. Gambit the Hisoka!"

He chanted happily, truly like a clown. Her heart began to race, out of fear and admiration for his beauty. But she still had to admit, he was a very strange man.

"What?" she choked out.

He smiled and crossed his arms, looking like a king bestowing a gift.

"I am finally letting you know my name, little princess."

Her brows raised in understanding. Hisoka. That was his name. Now, she wouldn't be embarrassing herself anymore.

"Hisoka-san… then," she narrowed her eyes, "What are you doing here? And why do you keep wearing our uniform…?"

"Oh, it's easier to roam around looking like a student. You'd be surprised at the information available once you're one of you."

"You don't look like a student. You're much too old," she said, ignoring his distractions.

"Only in your eyes. You're too calculating, much unlike the princess you should be."

She frowned. She didn't want to seem stuck-up. And she didn't want to appear affected by his light teasing. She should be stronger than that. But he was reading her like a book. Or maybe he was just good at doing it? Just like she was. Only this time, the person before her seemed like a blank page.

"And besides… you look weird in it. It's stupid…" she voiced out, expecting a hurt expression from him. But apparently, he was used to being labeled. He didn't even flinch. He just stared at her, like he usually did when she wasn't looking.

"What are you doing here? You failed to answer that one," she finally said, after he fell silent. Conversation would be better than having him stare at her, which he seemed to enjoy doing.

"I am here to give you a present," he sang.

But she didn't say anything. She just stood there, staring at him incredulously, like it was a trap. After a few seconds of no reply, his smile wavered. He frowned and stood straight.

"You don't want it?" he asked, his face disappointed.

"Kurapika-san won't be happy if he sees you here," she replied. "Much less if you give me… a present."

"Oh, well. I am sure he is well on his way here, what with your vitals always springing to life like a drum roll. Do you think it is much faster whenever I'm around?" he grinned knowingly. It was then that she realized her erratic heartbeat. Her face went hot, and she wished she hadn't washed the make-up off. The red cheeks would've hidden her abnormal blushing tendency.

"Don't be so overconfident," she said, looking to the side, obviously guilty. "How do you know about that anyway?"

He shrugged, and then hopped off the bench, closing the distance between them. She still didn't want to look at him. Then, she felt him shove something heavy on her stomach. Having caught her off-guard, she fell flat on her back.

"Oof! Wh-what was that for??" she yelled, the wind knocked out of her lungs.

"Woops," she heard him say, "I forgot that you are much weaker than I… and any other normal human being."

He chuckled.

She glared at him, and then looked at the heavy object on her stomach.

"My backpack!"

She was still too stunned that he had brought it for her that she remained on the floor without saying much of anything.

"Short skirts are always wonderful when ladies are lying on the ground."

Natsumi's face burned red as she threw her bag to the side and sat on her heels, her knees closely knit together. She glared at him, her embarrassment apparent.

"You-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Hisoka cut her off. He wasn't looking at her anymore.

"I am disappointed in you, Kuruta boy."

"Leave. Now."

Natsumi suddenly felt Kurapika behind her, his hand on her shoulder. She hadn't heard him arrive. Hisoka didn't seem too keen about leaving.

"Once again," Hisoka challenged, "I am disappointed. If I were a killer, this operation would have apparently failed some ten minutes ago."

Natsumi didn't move an inch. She felt the tension between the two, just like the first time all three of them were together. Or was it just Kurapika who was abnormally tensed? But she couldn't be distracted. Not right now. Hisoka… he had said that the operation would have failed ten minutes ago. Ten? But he had barely started talking to her three minutes ago. Had he been there, watching her, this whole time? She decided not to say anything.

"I knew you had something to give her, and I'm glad you did," Kurapika explained, though Natsumi couldn't see that as a valid reason.

"Well," Hisoka began again, apparently glad that Kurapika wasn't sending him away anymore, "I suppose it would be okay for you to watch from afar first, to see what would happen. You aren't _really_ her bodyguard after all."

Hisoka looked at Natsumi, and she knew that he was looking for some sort of reaction from her. But Kurapika replied before she could say anything.

"She already knows her role in this operation. She figured it out."

Hisoka cocked his head to the side. Apparently, his plan to sabotage her innocence of being bait failed. But instead of pouting as he usually would, he smiled widely.

"You're a smart one, aren't you? You never fail to amuse, princess."

"Please stop calling me that," she said, standing up with Kurapika's help.

Hisoka frowned.

"But I allowed you to give me a nickname. It would be unfair for me not to be allowed the same luxury."

She still couldn't look at him, lest she'd be stunned by his presence. She chose to hide behind Kurapika. The coward she was. She flinched at her own words.

"I thought you said you enjoyed it."

"I did, for a while. Now I'm quite tired of it."

"You're a flake."

"And you're still a princess."

"YOU-"

"Enough talk," Kurapika disrupted the exchange, "You've done what you came here to do. Now, leave."

"Ahh, and here I believed you were going to let me stay."

"Natsumi needs to eat."

"I'll watch her eat."

Natsumi shuddered at the thought of somebody watching her. Kurapika's chains suddenly began clanking together, like he was shaking. He was threatening Hisoka, she could tell. But would he really initiate a duel right here, in her presence? Wouldn't it be dangerous for her? She still didn't know everything. But she was sure of one thing. These people were not, in any way, normal. They've killed before, and they would do it again, in the name of something they believed in, whether right or wrong.

"Now, now," Hisoka began to speak, as if pretending to be afraid of a fight, though she didn't buy it, or Kurapika. "I wanted to speak to you as well, blond boy. If I simply came here to give the princess her backpack, I would've given it to her while she was in the bathroom this morning, before those girls came in after her."

Natsumi's eyes widened, and Kurapika's fist clenched. Her arms involuntarily twitched in fear. How did he know?

"And," Hisoka continued, happy with her shocked expression, "That would have meant that she wouldn't have borrowed a pen from the person in front of her! And she could have reviewed before the actual test began! Oh, how delightful that would have been. She could've concentrated as well, rather than being conscious about those girls and boys looking at her during the test. Oh, delightful, delightful!"

"Enough!" Kurapika yelled, turning to Natsumi. She had trouble breathing, her eyes bloodshot.

She could hear Kurapika calling out her name, but she couldn't find the words to respond.

Fear.

That was what she felt. How did he know? And she passed out.

--

Natsumi opened her eyes after what felt like an eternity. It took a while for her vision to clear. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. She knew this place all too well. She was in the school's clinic. She was on one of the beds, her usual spot whenever she passed out in Gym. And she heard voices. Three, to be exact. She forced herself not to move any further, even behind the curtains. The beds would creak loudly, and they would know she was awake. She held her breath.

"I wasn't the one who made her cry."

That was Hisoka.

"But I wasn't the one who made her pass out."

That was Kurapika.

"She passed out because you didn't give her food in time."

"Who do you think prevented me from giving it to her on time?"

"… You still made her cry."

"Boys, please. She's asleep. You both made her cry and you both made her pass out."

That was the doctor.

"I apologize, Hana."

Kurapika again.

But that wasn't right. Kurapika calls the doctor by her first name? And if Kurapika didn't trust the cafeteria, what reason did he have to trust the school's clinic? It didn't make any sense.

And why was Hisoka here as well?

"I don't buy it. Why would the Genei Ryodan want a fellow criminal dead?"

"They stole something from him, then he stole it back from them. Apparently, thieves are hypocrites." Hisoka replied.

Natsumi noted his answer. Wasn't he part of the Genei Ryodan? If he was, then why would he say "them" rather than "us?" Kurapika interrupted her thoughts when he spoke again.

"What was it that was stolen?" he asked.

"It's a very big mystery. Would you like me to play detective to find out?"

"This isn't a game. Why don't you even know?"

"Maybe I'll tell you once we've stolen it back." He replied, sarcastic.

Natsumi blinked. Now, Hisoka was referring to the group as "we." Was he just confused, or was the use of terms intentional?

"I still don't understand why you're giving me information in the first place."

"I like helping people out."

"That is something I will never believe."

"You are oh-so-cruel. My feelings have been wounded. Doctor, where do you keep your first aid kit?"

There was a moment of silence. Even the doctor didn't reply to him. Then, she turned the other way.

"We will be enemies again, not to worry." Hisoka added.

"Kurapika," the doctor spoke suddenly. "I was briefed this morning about… our deadline."

"Deadline? To take Alexander down? Are they crazy?" Kurapika replied.

"Yes, I had the same reaction."

"Well, when do they want it?" he asked, obviously annoyed.

"Before his annual celebration."

Kurapika instinctively punched a cabinet of medicines, breaking the glass and making the bottles to fall on the ground. Natsumi flinched because of the noise.

"Kurapika-san!" the doctor yelled, pushing him away, "Please calm yourself! This is no place for such outbursts!"

He didn't seem to hear her. He was looking forward, thinking deeply, almost talking to himself.

"His annual celebration… that's much too soon…"

"My, my. You've woken the princess! Sadly I had not done so with a little smooch."

Hisoka's words made Kurapika look at the cluster of beds. Natsumi was there, worry etched on her face. She held on to the curtains as she shakily stood up, walking to Kurapika who gazed at her with a helpless expression.

"I'm sorry," he simply said.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"For what?"

"Waking you up."

She shook her head.

"Oh. No, I was awake," she said, and then continued on before he protested. "Now… because the Genei Ryodan are after Alexander as well, I assume that they are after me, too. Wow, I sure am popular these days."

"Indeed you are," Hisoka added, "Your uncanny ability to attract others makes me quite jealous."

She glared at him suddenly, and he pretended to flinch at her unfriendly gesture.

"You're one of them, aren't you? So you were here to kidnap me after all. And here I was, believing that you really went out of your way to give me my backpack."

"A present," he corrected, grinning.

She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," she turned to Kurapika, "So you guys were saying… a deadline? Annual celebration?"

Kurapika nodded.

"Alexander... every year, he celebrates his life of crime. It's like a celebration for himself that he hasn't been caught just yet."

"Like, a party?" she asked, curious.

"Well, yes. A grand party, by invitation only. And something else."

"Something else?"

"He also wreaks havoc in York Shin, specifically and precisely at 9:25 in the evening, when his guests have settled in to watch the show. Last year, he had every known power plant and generator blown to pieces. The city was in the dark for 2 months."

Natsumi blinked, "That was HIM?"

He nodded again.

"The government doesn't want anything worse to happen this year."

Natsumi felt dizzy again, absorbing all the information at once. Hisoka stretched his arms out to her and flashed her a smile.

"If you must fall, fall on me," he thought out loud.

She glared at him once more, and like the first time, he pretended to flinch.

"So… when exactly is this annual celebration?" she asked, getting a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She seemed used to everything inside the clinic.

Kurapika sighed aloud, his dilemma reviving again.

"Very soon…" he replied, anger evident in his voice.

"How soon?" she asked, drinking. She eyed Kurapika intensely, seeing if he would react. She was, after all, drinking something from the school. He didn't seem to mind. Again, very suspicious.

"Next Friday."

Natsumi coughed out the water and dropped the bottle, coughing and choking as the water entered the wrong place in her throat. Hisoka was beside her in an instant. He just stared at her, with his arms in mid-air, as if he were about to do something, but wasn't sure how to do it.

"It's just water, Natsumi-san," Kurapika said, "Don't kill yourself with it."

She shook her head to say that it wasn't the water that was the problem. Then, after a full minute of coughing, she sat down on the doctor's chair.

"It's not the water," she voiced her thoughts, "It's… next Friday."

"Yes, it is," Kurapika said, now unsure of her mental well-being.

"No, no!" she yelled, clutching her head with her palms as if it hurt, "Next Friday!"

"What about Friday?!"

She lifted her head, tears welling up once more. But it was clear that she wasn't crying from pain. She was crying from fear. And confusion.

"Next Friday… is my birthday."

The realization hit Kurapika like a scathing wound.

"Your birthday? But… couldn't it be… a coincidence?" his words came out slow. He couldn't analyze things properly at the moment. Hisoka simply watched on, clearly amused. But his smile was gone.

"It can't be," Natsumi shook her head.

"It could be! Maybe this is why Alexander is after you. He found out your special similarity. How are you so sure?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head again and again, as if trying to remove a bad thought. Then, she stopped and looked at him gravely.

"Because…I was also born… at precisely 9:25 PM."

--

End of chapter!

WHOA! So how was that? Hahahaha. Pretty long, huh! So I guess I should've warned you about its length. Heeheehee.

I am quite proud of this, actually. The idea hit me while I was in the car for a two-hour trip. I must say, if you guys are looking for inspiration for good ideas, just listen to music! (And I mean music with lyrics… otherwise known as songs. Instrumentals help too, but not quite as good. :D) It helps, I promise! Satisfaction guaranteed! wink wink LOL.

I wonder what'll happen next… :D Stay tuned to find out!

Please read and review. I sincerely enjoy and appreciate it! It's thanks to my readers that I actually get good ideas too. And it makes me keep to the spirit of the story.

'Til next time. :D


	5. Reunion, Part 1

And here we have Chapter 5! Wow… I'm actually in chapter 5 now. Hahaha.

How do you guys like it so far?

Well, the visitors are gone now, so I have more time for writing. Yay! So expect chapters to come out faster. Teehee. Now… to reply to my reviewers:

Lumi75: HAHA! Yes, well… I think Hisoka has that effect on almost everyone, especially to us girls! I've been reading the manga and watching videos of him. Such a character! Haha. He's too mean to Natsumi though, that even I, as the writer, am annoyed. Hahaha. :P

bigSEED: Thank you! And yes, really… music is the best! I find that my writing is never the same when I'm writing with music, and without music. There's a dramatic difference. :D

animeaddict11: Thank you! I'm glad you used the word "awesome." Haha! That's what I use to describe stuff that I really find cool. :P And yes, Kurapika is indeed paranoid. That's one of the characteristics I really needed to put in here! :P

Okie dokie. So yeah, I was reading the manga… and discovered that in the manga, in the part of the celestial tower, Hisoka wears HEELS. I was stunned! Lol. But I'm following the anime version here, okay? Hisoka does not wear heels… Sigh… that really freaked me out. Anywayy…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi, though. :D

**Chapter 5: Reunion, Part 1  
**

* * *

_Your charming face,_

_Your bewitching smile…_

_You may take my sight_

_And make me blind,_

_But your voice will always_

_Be my light..._

* * *

Natsumi was on the king-sized bed, inside one of the rooms of the penthouse suite in the hotel they stayed in. Kurapika was right outside, in the living room, along with 10 other bodyguards who were unknown to her. She tried to do small talk, to at least be friends with the people who "protected" her. But they wouldn't respond. Kurapika said they weren't allowed to be involved with the subject.

But she pushed aside all the thoughts of what had happened before now. She sat with her legs spread on either side, much like a boy. Papers, books, and pens cluttered her entire area. But she was focused on one thing.

With a tensed face, she blinked at the device before her, scrutinizing it without even touching any part of it. Then, all of a sudden it began slowly spinning on her bed, like it was vibrating.

She slowly grabbed the device and examined it. She had found it in her backpack, along with the rest of her school stuff. The high-definition screen read "Incoming Phone Call from Unknown."

On the bottom sides of the screen, there were two words, "ANSWER" and "REJECT." She pressed the button on the bottom left, and then she set it to her ear.

"Took you long enough," a voice said.

Hisoka.

He sounded amused and excited at the same time. But as jumpy as her heart was, she swallowed hard and cleared her throat.

"Hello?"

All of a sudden, Hisoka began laughing on the other end of the line. Natsumi's eyes twitched as she waited for him to tell her what was funny this time around. He stopped after a full minute.

"You're supposed to say 'hello' upon answering it, not when the other person has already spoken to you."

"…"

"Does it suit your fancy?"

Natsumi blinked and stood up, walking to the door. Removing the phone from her ear, she creaked the door side open and peeped outside, hiding the phone behind her. Kurapika instinctively looked up. He was on the computer, obviously busy. He had a stern look on his face, as if having difficulty with something. She ignored it. She'll ask him tomorrow morning.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. He was about to stand up to go to her, but she waved her free hand around to stop him from coming closer.

"No, no! Just checking if you were still here, what with all the men guarding me as well."

"I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

"Right… Okay. Well… Umm… Later."

She shut the door behind her and jumped back on the bed, setting the phone to her ear once more. She had seen girls do that in the rare movies she had seen.

"Listen," she spoke, obviously about to get mad. "I've given Kurapika-san a piece of my mind about missing my finals. Now it's your turn! I DESPISE you right now for letting me miss my finals! Do you understand how important they-"

Hisoka cut her off.

"Oh, you despise me right now… Hmm… Then maybe I should call later. Maybe you won't despise me then."

Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"I HATE-"

"Does it suit your fancy?" he asked again.

Natsumi breathed in sharply, getting cut off once more. She gritted her teeth in annoyance as she held a pencil in between her clenched fist.

"DOES WHAT SUIT MY FANCY?!"

"Shhh. Don't be so loud, princess. Blondie is right next door."

"I don't know how you're doing whatever it is that you're doing, but it is creeping me out. Please stop it."

"Oh…"

"..."

"So does it suit your fancy?"

"Hisoka-san," she said sharply, "Please make your questions clearer. I cannot read your mind…"

She trailed off, remembering how his face was always so full of expression… but she still couldn't read him.

"Well, either your sharp skills have faded overnight, or… you're too distracted right now."

"What?"

"Okay… then the latter it is. I distract you! The thought tickles my laugh box. Anyway, I was pertaining to my present, princess."

Natsumi's eye twitched again involuntarily. Would he just quit calling her princess? It was annoying. If other girls just loved to be called that, she was the complete opposite. But then she read his words. His present?

-- _Flashback --_

"_Indeed you are," Hisoka added, "Your uncanny ability to attract others makes me quite jealous."_

_She glared at him suddenly, and he pretended to flinch at her unfriendly gesture._

"_You're one of them, aren't you? So you were here to kidnap me after all. And here I was, believing that you really went out of your way to give me my backpack."_

"_A present," he corrected, grinning._

-- _End of flashback --_

So the "present" he was referring to wasn't her backpack at all, but the cellphone he had put inside.

"Yes, now you remember," he said, as if reading her mind. "Isn't it pretty? It's pink! Your favorite color. It's the latest model, I might add. And I had it custom-made for you. If you look behind-"

"I don't want it. I'm giving it back to you," she remarked.

"If you look behind it," he continued anyway. "You will see your wonderful name! Each letter is made of adorable little diamond buttons. Now, now. I must tell you to take care of it. It was not easy to obtain, since it's a limited edition, and it has yet to be released next month. Difficult to get that color, too. No need to thank me."

"I'm NOT thanking you because I am NOT accepting this."

She hit herself on the head, trying to read through his words. Limited edition? Not yet released? Custom-made? Diamonds? Surely it would've taken such an influential person to have it done in such a short time! Just who was this man again?

"Aww… it seems as if whenever we talk, I always get such bruises in my heart. I truly must bring a portable first aid kit."

He began laughing again at his joke. She rolled her eyes, angry.

"It wasn't funny the first time, and it STILL isn't funny the second time around! And besides, all first aid kits are portable! That's why each one is called a first aid KIT."

Hisoka fell silent, and Natsumi smirked in triumph. Damn she was good. But soon enough, he began talking again, as if nothing had happened.

"You are keeping that phone. Now, you don't need a computer to check your e-mails! And you can send text messages, instant messages, and make calls, and play games, and store files, and take pictures, and-"

"I can't afford all that, okay? So I'll just give this back to you, or call the provider and tell them to cancel it."

Hisoka gasped out loud, then chuckled.

"Oh, no, no, no you don't! I have got it covered. Again, no need to thank me."

"I'M NOT THANKING YOU!"

"Shush now! Kuruta boy might be suspicious. Your acting was not at all very convincing a while ago. You seemed like you had a stomach ache and were in dire need of some personal time in the bathroom."

Her cheeks burned.

"Sh-shut up! Going back to where I was earlier, I am extremely annoyed at you for letting that happen to me!"

"Letting what happen to you?" his voice suddenly turned serious, sounding uncharacteristically worried. She couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. It caught her off-guard.

"Letting… I… My finals…" she stammered.

"Oh, your finals? I am sure you did fine."

She growled and kicked her books off the bed, not knowing how else to express her anger without the person in front of her.

"I missed the rest of them! It's like you're not even listening!"

"Ohh, yes. I remember now… I apologize."

She fell silent. She didn't believe his apology. Honestly? She didn't believe anything he said. Why was he so mean to her? And then trying to make up for it afterwards. It was like a little boy, owning a brand new toy that he didn't know how to play with. So the boy would try out different things just to figure out how it worked. Hisoka was the boy. She was the toy. And toys never really had a choice… or a chance.

"Hisoka-san," she said, her voice breaking. "I want to go to bed now, if you don't mind. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you…"

"Ahh, yes," he sang in reply, "And yet you voluntarily did not tell your pseudo-bodyguard about my little present. But oh well. Although I still do not know why you haven't hung up on me yet… Perhaps you LIKE my jokes?"

"… No."

"Oh… I feel as though a little part of me has died. Let's go bury it together!"

"Don't be weird!"

"Ha ha ha," he exaggerated his laughter. "Good night, princess. Big day tomorrow. And please close your curtains. If I can see you, then others can most likely see you, too. I do not like that at all… especially with your attire right now. What cute pink underwear."

And he hung up, laughing as he did. She looked down at her legs. SHE WAS WEARING SHORTS! Really short shorts. They weren't…

Her head snapped to the side. She ran to the curtains, covering herself with it as she peeked outside, her face burning a deep shade of crimson. She couldn't see anyone in any other building looking her way. Where was he? But she followed him anyway and closed the curtains, cursing under her breath. She gritted her teeth so hard that it actually hurt her mouth.

She glanced at the phone and turned it around. Just like he said, her name was there, in little diamond studs. She raised her arm to throw it to the wall and destroy it, but she paused in mid-air. She rolled her eyes and slowly drew back her arm. She looked at it with giving eyes, not really knowing what she felt about it. She didn't know what to do. Again.

Setting the backside on her cheek, the diamonds felt cold on her warm face, which was still hot from her blushing spree. She had to admit. It felt nice. She smiled a little, and chuckled.

It suddenly vibrated, and she looked at the screen again. There was a message from a number she didn't recognize. She guessed the button to press to read it, and it popped up.

"You're welcome," she read. "Princess in pink undies."

"FREAK!" she yelled and threw the phone under her pillow.

Kurapika burst through the door.

"Natsumi-san!"

She blinked at him, and he blinked back. He turned his head all of a sudden, his cheeks pink.

"I apologize. I didn't know you were dressing."

She cocked a brow.

"What? I'm not… Oh. THEY'RE SHORTS, OKAY?! God, these people!"

She went under the covers and turned her back from him.

"Good night!" she yelled.

"I really didn't mean to-"

"I said good night!"

Kurapika switched the lights off and closed the door, biting his lip from laughing.

* * *

She was in the passenger seat yet again, beside Kurapika, who was driving abnormally fast. She was about to proudly show him that she had put her own seatbelt on this time, though his face was focused on something other than her presence. He had already forgotten about the night before.

She looked behind them. Four black cars followed them, containing the other people who were guarding her. It was only after Hisoka told them about Genei Ryodan's plans of kidnapping her that Kurapika had increased manpower. She thought he was sufficient enough, actually. Seems like the government wanted Alexander that bad.

"What were you doing so seriously last night?" she asked casually, trying not to provoke his usual professionalism.

It took him a while to answer, as if he was debating in his head whether or not he was going to tell her.

"You'll soon find out…"

"Where are we going?"

"We are meeting someone."

"Who?"

"Enough with the questions for now, Natsumi-san. I must focus…"

Natsumi obliged. She looked at him with pensive eyes, as if tracing every curve of his face. Then she realized that he was talking about focusing on what he was planning in his mind, and not on driving.

After an hour or so of travel, Natsumi couldn't tell where they were anymore. They parked in front of a small building and entered through the back door, and Natsumi could feel her knees shaking upon going inside a dark room. The rest of the bodyguards surrounded her and Kurapika, but she still didn't feel safe.

"Is that my daughter? Where is she??"

"MOM?"

Natsumi pushed through the men and saw her mom in between two boys who were much younger than she was.

"Oh, my baby!"

Her mother ran to her and pulled her to a tight embrace, crying like she had lost someone dear to her. Natsumi looked at the ceiling, embarrassed by the overflowing affection and love. She wanted to cry, too, actually. But she denied it, and so the tears followed her for once. After all, she had never cried in front of her mother. She wasn't going to start now.

"Hey, mom," she said coolly. "How are you?"

All of a sudden, her mother let her go and set her hands on her hips. Kurapika recognized the stance that Natsumi had done yesterday, when she scolded him about missing her tests. He stifled a laugh.

"Young lady!" she began. "Do you know how worried I was? Why didn't you tell me that an insane mental victim was chasing you? A mother bear must defend her cubs! Or in this case, her only cub! I swear, if anyone lays a finger on you, I-"

"Oh, my. I apologize then, for having laid a finger on your daughter."

Everyone turned to the door. Hisoka was there, a smile curling up his lips. He closed the door behind him, and all the men inside took fighting stances.

"Hisoka!" the boy beside her mother shouted. He had black spikey hair, and he wore a green shirt and shorts, as well as brown boots. He had big, brown eyes… so full of life, and so innocent.

"Gentlemen," Kurapika spoke with authority, "It's alright. I agreed to meet him here."

But her mother didn't get the hint that he was a dangerous foe. She marched up to him, once again setting her hands to her hips. He seemed to have the same thought as Kurapika, and he actually chuckled aloud.

"Don't laugh your way out of this one, mister!" she screamed, her voice so similar to Natsumi's, "What did you say?! You laid a finger on my daughter?! Oh, you're in very big trouble! Wait 'til I call your employer!"

Natsumi's face grew red in embarrassment. She wanted to die right there. Somehow, being killed by Alexander didn't seem like a bad thing anymore. But she took note of what her mother had said… She was going to call his EMPLOYER? It was then that she had realized what Hisoka was wearing: a red, almost pink, jumpsuit that had the cards symbols on the front and back. Her mother must've thought that he was… well… a clown.

"Oh, I'm self-employed, ma'am," he replied. "But you shouldn't blame me for literally laying a finger on your daughter's gaping, bleeding wound when she hit her head on the pavement…"

Natsumi's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, then she turned around to sneak away, but her mother caught her just in time. Natsumi glared at Hisoka, then her mom was on to her.

"You hit your head on the pavement?! You said a ball hit you extremely hard in gym, so you had a concussion!"

Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"That DID happen!"

"Apparently not recently!"

"So?" Natsumi countered.

"It was a misleading statement!"

"MOM, just put it to rest, okay? Or else no dessert for you when this is all over!"

Her mom's eyes went from upset to horrified. She silenced herself immediately. The whole room looked comical… apparently, Natsumi was still the parent and her mother was still the child.

Kurapika cleared his throat, making all the men stiffen up right away.

"Gon-san!" her mother whispered, crying. "You'll give me dessert after all of this is over, right?"

The boy named Gon gave her one thumb up, garnering Natsumi's attention once more. He whispered something to her, and her mother smiled widely and sat down on the couch, satisfied. Only a few people could appease her mother… this boy seemed to know just what to do.

He walked up to her and stretched out his hand to her.

"Hi! My name's Gon. I'm one of your mom's bodyguards. This is Killua. He's my best friend. We make a team! Your mom talks about you a lot. She says you're really smart."

"Oh…" Natsumi said, embarrassed. "Well… Nice to meet you… Gon." She glanced at Killua. They looked at each other, as if trying to point out if they knew each other.

Gon smiled sheepishly, and then went back beside her mother, along with Killua.

Kurapika cleared his throat again, catching everyone's attention. He turned to Natsumi. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that he was about to say something very important.

"Natsumi-san," he began. "What do you know about your father?"

* * *

_Floating aimlessly in this dream_

_I feel tears from above  
_

_And so I look up, to see you_

_Your arms outstretched_

_But we do not touch_

_I wake up, with my arms_

_Pointing to nothing_

_But the starless night sky_

* * *

"What?" Natsumi suddenly blurted out. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Kurapika sat down on one of the seats and crossed his arms in contemplation.

"Last night, I was looking for a direct link between you two… but nothing came up. So I looked up the only clear information we had so far - the relevance of your date of birth. But then I saw something... not only is the day and time of your birth the same... The year you were born in, Natsumi-san… the year you turned one… was the first year Alexander had begun his annual celebration… and each following year after that… Like it was a celebration in your honor. Like Alexander had a reason other than crime…"

"What did you say?" Natsumi's mother suddenly said aloud.

"Mom, now is not the time to-"

"No, no. What name did he say? Alexander, was it?" she asked.

Kurapika stood up and set his hands on her shoulders, as if encountering groundbreaking evidence.

"Was Alexander her father, Hasegawa-san?"

Her mother shook her head, seemingly deep in thought for once.

"No…" she replied. "But the name… Alexander."

"What about it?" Natsumi went up to her.

"Alexander… that was what your name was supposed to be."

Natsumi and Kurapika looked at each other, and Hisoka watched on in peaked interest.

"My name? Alexander?"

Her mother nodded.

"Yes… Alfonse discovered I was pregnant, and he wanted to name the baby, whether girl or boy. Alexander… Yes, now I remember. He was named after someone great, so he wanted her to be named after someone great, too."

Natsumi sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling dizzy. But she slipped on the edge, and fell down, hitting the lamp beside it.

"Ouch! Darn it."

Hisoka stared at her, not knowing what to do. He sat down beside her instead, doing nothing. Though Natsumi had the current revelation in mind, she suddenly remembered the time she choked on her water, and Hisoka stood there with his arms in mid-air, also like he didn't know what to do. It was a mere flash in her head, and she was back soon enough.

"So Alfonse… is the name of my father?" she asked.

Her mother nodded.

"Yes, it is. I don't know his last name, though…" she said.

Natsumi ignored the degrading statement.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You never asked…"

"So? You could've at least mentioned it."

"I had the impression that you didn't care."

"You're right… I didn't care. Not until now… with these abnormal occurrences."

Gon piped in, "So why didn't you name her Alexander, then?"

Her mother shrugged, "Alfonse had written down the name… it was a new name to me… And difficult to remember. But I lost the paper… and I couldn't remember the name… But beside the hospital bed was a pack of toilet paper, soft and sweet-smelling, just like you were! It was branded Natsumi. It was such a beautiful name, and so I-"

"MOM!"

The entire room fell silent… then everyone burst out laughing. Hisoka was the loudest, or maybe it was because he was beside her. But either way, everyone was laughing… even the otherwise stoic bodyguards.

"Stop it!!" she yelled.

Hisoka pursed his lips together to stop, but his torso was still shaking from laughter. It took everyone 2 minutes to calm back down.

"NOW," Natsumi glared at everyone. "Getting back on topic… Why'd he leave us, mom? And have you had any contact with him ever since?"

Her mother simply shrugged once more, "I don't really know what happened. One day, he just stopped visiting me…"

Natsumi glanced at Kurapika.

"Does that help?"

He shook his head.

"It is better to know that there's a story behind this… but finding someone named 'Alfonse' with no last name for reference… It will be difficult. But now we know… that your own father is after you. Seems like the yearly celebration was a ploy to find you…"

"Oooh," Hisoka suddenly said. "What's next? An evil twin, perhaps? Oh! Perhaps a mild case of schizophrenia! Alexander is a split personality dormant within my princess' heart of hearts! Ohhh… you are attention-grabbing! This soap opera must be aired on primetime!"

He began laughing hysterically once more, his hands on his stomach because of the effort. Her mom began laughing as well.

"It's true!" her mother laughed and agreed. "She snaps sometimes, I'm telling you!"

Hisoka laughed even louder… But it was just the two of them.

"Shut up! I… it's not funny!"

All of a sudden, a chain found its way past Hisoka's head, embedded deeply in the wall behind him. Hisoka's laughter faltered as the two looked at each other in all seriousness.

"Does the Genei Ryodan know about this?" Kurapika asked, his voice deadly.

Hisoka traced his lips with his finger, and chuckled.

"I wouldn't know. Though I am sure they are keen enough to notice something this obvious. But then they never tell me anything 'til the last minute. It's like they don't trust me," He sniffed.

Everyone, even Gon, looked at him like he was some hopeless case.

But Natsumi caught a glint in Hisoka's eyes. That last sentence wasn't just added in jest, but meant to distract, she was sure. There was something going on between Hisoka and Kurapika. It wasn't a secret to the others… just something not meant for her to know.

"So they DO know," Kurapika spoke.

"I didn't say that," Hisoka replied.

"But they do," he repeated. "Let's go. We're done here."

Kurapika turned, his chain already back somewhere in his arm. Natsumi reached in her pocket and looked at Hisoka, about to give back the phone he had given her. But he gave her a straight face… one so serious that she flinched just looking at him. He was telling her to keep it… Somehow, it was important. She didn't know why, or how… but he said it with that look.

"Natsumi-san," Kurapika called. "I said let's go."

She turned to him, and then glanced back at Hisoka, whose face now revealed a tight smile. Kurapika pulled her to him as the rest of the men followed his lead.

"Hey, Natsumi," Killua suddenly went beside her, his hands in his pockets.

"Hello… Killua… Zaoldyeck?"

He nodded, "How'd you know?"

"Well… your family's portrait is in the school, inside the library. You own the school, after all… You were a lot younger there, but your eyes are the same."

"Oh. Right… But… Natsumi…"

"Yeah?"

He stopped walking and looked at her. She stopped as well. Kurapika remained beside her, his eyes unforgiving.

"My brother, Illumi," Killua began. "He's looking for you, too."

"Illumi-kun??"

Her eyes went wide and her face went red… redder than anyone has ever seen. Hisoka noticed, and he didn't like it. Not in the very least.

* * *

End of chapter 5, part 1!

OOH! Wonder what's gonna happen now! Hahaha. I'm currently halfway through Part 2 now, so I'll be quick to upload. :D

At least you guys are getting a clearer picture. Yay! :P I'm so excited to write the next chapter now.

Please read and review! I truly appreciate it. Okay... now I have to watch more videos of Illumi now, to get the right character. Teehee.


	6. Reunion, Part 2

Chapter 5, Part 2 is here! Let's celebrate!

I should warn you guys, though. It's pretty long. But it's worth it, because a lot of things will happen! :D

So, without further ado, and so that you won't be reading too much anymore…

Disclaimer: I do not own own Hunter X Hunter. However, I do own Natsumi, and everything related to her.

**Chapter 5: Reunion, Part 2**

* * *

_My tangled veins,_

_My skipping heart_

_The result of your presence…_

_How will I ever survive your love?_

* * *

Natsumi fell on her bed, tired from studying. Sure, finals were over, but now she had to worry about entering the best university she could… York Shin University was the best in the city, of course, so she was definitely aiming for that. But then again, only the top 2 percent of students of the best schools were always only able to get in… She wanted to be part of that 2 percent.

Her phone suddenly vibrated on the bedside table, creating a loud noise.

"Ack!" she yelled, jumping up and grabbing it from the surface. She looked at the door, half-expecting to see Kurapika appear because of the noise. But after a few seconds, all was clear. She sighed aloud.

She looked at the screen. It was an incoming call from the same number – Hisoka's number. She still didn't get around to learning how to use the phone much… so she still wasn't able to store his contact details. But it was okay. She memorized his number already. She memorized the numbers of Gon, Killua, and Kurapika as well, without them really knowing. She never knew if she needed an emergency. They were all in the living room, watching something on TV. For some reason, Kurapika seemed more at ease with the two kids around…

She looked at the phone again and pressed the answer button, stepping outside to the balcony. She knew he was watching her again… so she had put on pajamas and a big sweatshirt this time. She leaned on the ledge.

"Hello…" she said.

"Who is Illumi to you, huh?" Hisoka's voice came like a child's… when he was jealous that his parents were paying more attention to a newborn baby than to him.

Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"Killua and Gon were insisting on finding out as well…"

"So will you tell me?"

"I need to study…"

"Study-study, munchies are crunchy!"

"…What?"

"I don't want you to study right now. I want you to talk to me."

"I'm busy!"

"It's midnight! You're still busy? You're like an owl."

"Yes…Uhh… Like an owl. This is how I am, if you haven't noticed."

"But I want to know… Illumi won't tell me much as well…"

"You two KNOW each other?"

Her cheeks began showing signs of life as she bit her lip, obviously thinking of something fondly.

"There you go again! I don't want anyone but me to make you go red!!"

He was screaming by now, but not in anger… more like he was having a tantrum. She sighed heavily, giving up.

"Illumi-kun…He's the so-called 'Prince of the School' and… he's part of the Zaoldyeck family… And his brother, Milluki-san, gave me the scholarship for my entire academic career in Kashmire… And… Illumi-kun comes to visit the school every now and then… And all the girls in my class always follow him around… But I just always stay in the classroom… I was never really interested in whoever he was… And I've never really seen him before… But one time, during class, he passed by the room and I was the only one who noticed he was there… I watched him as he walked by… And as if he knew I was looking, he paused and we looked at each other... Then he walked away… I doubt he even knows who I am… I haven't really thought about him since then… but when Killua suddenly spoke his name, it all came back to me…"

She rambled for a full minute, and Hisoka didn't enjoy it. He fell silent. Natsumi realized that she was indeed chatting on and on, and she shook her head, slapping her own face.

"Wah! Look at what you made me do, Hisoka-san!"

"Why don't you call me 'Hisoka-kun' too?"

"It's inappropriate…"

"No, it isn't."

"Can I go back to studying now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Can you take your sweatshirt off first?"

"FREAK!!"

She hung up on him and stuck her tongue out at whatever direction across the balcony and went back inside, glaring at the window before closing the curtains. Her cheeks burned… What was wrong with him? Why was he so... She couldn't even describe him. She's never met anyone like him, and she doubted that she ever will. She hopped on the bed again and studied until around 2 AM, then went to bed.

* * *

It was lunchtime, and the classroom was already empty. She finished answering some problem for her homework while eating the lunch Kurapika had brought for her, and then set off outside. Kurapika was there, along with a boy whom she recognized was from the class next to hers. They both looked at her, then the boy waved him off.

"Forget it, dude. You suck," the boy said and walked away.

Natsumi blinked.

"What was that about?"

"He was asking for your number," he narrowed his eyes.

Natsumi laughed nervously.

"Haha…haha… Well, he won't get anything, since I don't have-"

"Hisoka told me about it ever since he gave you the backpack. I'm fine with it, as long as it's a secure line."

Natsumi's eye twitched. And she cursed Hisoka under her breath again.

"He gave me the impression that it was supposed to be a secret! So I kept it from you!"

Kurapika narrowed his eyes even more.

"He was obviously playing with you again. And don't ever hide anything from me from now on. I may not be your bodyguard, Natsumi, but I will protect you. Nothing will happen to you while I'm here."

Natsumi flinched. She looked away and rubbed her arm, embarrassed. He had removed the "san" from her name. Since when had he called her so informally? Maybe he was finally treating her like she wanted… as a friend.

"Hey, Kurapika…" she spoke, also removing the formality.

"What?"

"About Hisoka… Why do you trust him suddenly?"

"I don't," he said simply. "I just need something from him… Likewise, you still shouldn't trust him."

She nodded, not completely understanding. She knew it. He and Hisoka had a secret! But Kurapika's vague answer meant that she still wasn't allowed to know.

"GYAH! Natsumi!" the group of girls passed by, and her classmates had grabbed her arm. "Illumi-sama is finally here! Let's go!!"

Natsumi's eyes widened, and her cheeks became pink again. The girls were pretty quick to drag her away, and Kurapika followed.

Outside the building, more and more girls ran toward the same place. And sure enough, in the middle of the crowd, Illumi was there, avoiding everyone's communication.

Natsumi watched on… the graceful man. The crowd was getting bigger and bigger, and she felt random people push her from side to side to get closer to him.

'_That's not good_,' she thought in her head. And sure enough, after a few more pushes, she was thrown off balance to the empty space conveniently beside him, as if it were meant for her.

Suddenly, he stopped walking. He turned to her as she looked up, her cheeks betraying her pretended disinterest.

"Natsumi!" she heard Kurapika yell, but the crowd of girls was apparently more difficult to overcome than a squad of mafia agents.

"Natsumi-chan," he spoke, his voice flat. "What are you doing down there?"

Natsumi-CHAN? He knew who she was?! Did Killua say anything? Worse, did Hisoka say anything about her?

The girls squealed as he stretched his hand out to help her. She took his hand and she stood up, her eyes never moving away from his. She smiled sheepishly.

"Th-thank you, Illumi-kun…"

His face was void of any emotion; it was almost scary. But the girls loved it anyway… The Prince of the School.

"Be careful next time. I would like to see you later in one piece, if possible," he whispered.

He then turned and walked away, the hoard of girls following him, including her friends. Soon, she and Kurapika were by themselves again.

"What incredible force," Kurapika commented on the crowd of fan girls.

He glanced at Natsumi when she didn't say anything. And there she was, dazed. Her lips were curled into a small smile as she stared at her hand – the hand that he had used to help her up. Kurapika narrowed his eyes.

"Illumi is not what you think he is," he spoke. "He is just as dangerous as Hisoka. Do you understand? And your interest in him will only lead to trouble. He is important for the success of this operation."

Natsumi frowned at him and turned away.

"Who's interested in who? And besides, I already knew Illumi-kun was part of it because Killua said so yesterday… I just don't know what his role is, so I didn't put much thought in it. And I don't see how Illumi-kun is dangerous."

"You obviously don't know anything about him."

"I know that he comes from a generous family who built this school and gave me the scholarship!"

"The Zaoldyeck family…" he trailed off, opting not to tell her what they truly were.

"Hmph. In any case, I'm glad he's involved! I'm going back to class…"

She stomped away, leaving Kurapika helpless. Illumi appeared behind him.

"You've misled her," Kurapika said without turning around.

"She misled herself. I've never spoken to her until today," he replied.

"I still do not understand the purpose of tonight's activity."

"You will soon see. After all, Natsumi-chan needs to have fun, too. If you let her see that you're trying to be a good friend to her, then trust will follow suit."

"Do not call her that."

"She seemed to like it."

"I am beginning to see why you and Hisoka are friends."

"Hmm… True. Now, you better follow your little subject, or she might hurt herself."

Kurapika stiffened, then ran back to the classroom.

When he was gone, Hisoka materialized beside him, his face blank and serious.

"When you said you wanted to see Alphonse's daughter, I didn't know you meant a time other than later, tonight."

Illumi didn't smile or react, but his tone revealed he was amused.

"Just curious… you seemed jealous when you talked about her. And besides, Milluki has a one-sided obsession over her. He keeps a doll of her beside his computer."

Hisoka scowled at the last part.

"He has no chance," he said.

"Maybe I do. She seems to like me."

The atmosphere suddenly changed as Hisoka's gaze went to Illumi, his eyes deadly.

"No, you don't. And no, she doesn't," he said, his tone rigid.

"Why? Is she yours?"

"Yes."

"You never leave some for me."

"That's because I'm always first. First to come, first to be served."

"That's unfair. She has the vigilance of my younger brother, and the personality of the interfering best friend."

"Gon."

"Yes, him. Is the combination the reason for your fascination?"

Hisoka smiled and sat on the bench, preparing to give him a story.

"Yes, that is the reason," he spoke slowly. "But that reason came after I realized I couldn't kill her…"

* * *

_For now, someone has hit pause_

_And unmoving, I try to break free_

_It is unfair to be able to think, to breathe_

_And yet unable to do_

_Any other damn thing_

* * *

"What is the meaning of this, Kurapika?!" Natsumi yelled in a hushed tone.

A bunch of girls squealed outside the kitchen door, followed by the laughter of some boys. Natsumi's eye twitched, but Kurapika still remained calm.

"It's a slumber party."

"Yes," she said, her tone deadly. "I can see that. But WHY is there a slumber party HERE? Right NOW? Without my KNOWLEDGE? Is this what Illumi-kun meant by '_I would like to see you LATER in one piece, if possible,'_ huh?"

He looked at her, his face still unchanging.

"How did you know? He isn't even here yet. I thought you missed that bit."

"I never miss anything…"

"I know. But… It was recommended that you have fun despite the impending danger."

"Yeah, I should have fun, because my ultimate downfall is just 6 days away!"

"…"

"Who exactly 'recommended' this?"

"Illumi and Hisoka."

Natsumi's cheeks went red again, though for some reason, Kurapika knew it was for the first man than the second.

"And you allowed it?" Natsumi asked.

"Yes, I did. You need to rest your head. You've been pushing yourself too hard."

"Do you think I can rest my HEAD when I'm with THOSE people?"

"…"

"Okay, I don't mind the girls… but why'd you have to invite my MALE classmates to come along as well?! There are like, 3 boys out there!"

"Yes, and there are 4 girls, 5 including you. They're outnumbered."

"So?! Do you know what boys their AGE think about nowadays?! It's so inappropriate!"

"Just… please have fun."

"Ugh. Fine. Thanks, I guess. I know you're just trying to… make me feel better. You're a good friend…"

Her arms twitched in hesitation, and she gave him a quick hug, and then ran out the door, before any reaction occurred. Kurapika cocked a brow.

"Definitely weird…" he whispered to himself.

Outside, her friends called out to her.

"Natsumi! Come on, you should play, too!"

Her eye twitched. Truth or dare. No way in hell was she playing. All of a sudden, the boys grabbed her and set her in the circle of people. She gulped.

She was one out of 8 people… She began thinking.

'_So… if someone else were to spin, that would make me one out of 7 people… Which means that I have a 14.285714 percent chance of being pointed at, and consequently an 85.714286 percent chance of not getting pointed at. And if the game were to last an "x" number of minutes, I could possibly be lucky and not get pointed at._'

She stopped. Luck never played on her side.

"Oh, I'll sit this one out. I'll watch you guys, though!"

"Oh no, you don't! You're staying!"

"Yeah, Natsumi! We've never really hung out with you before!"

No way! She laughed nervously and stood up, only to slip on the carpet. The people laughed as her friends helped her sit down again. She cursed under her breath. Who the hell slips on CARPET with their SOCKS on?

"It's a sign that you're supposed to play, Natsumi," the boy across her said. She held her breath.

She couldn't escape even if she wanted. She'd definitely yell at Kurapika later on for this.

"Okay, guys!" her girl friend said. "Let's begin. Soma-kun will spin first!"

Natsumi gulped. Her heart pounded. He jerked the bottle, and it spun around and around and around and around and… Impossible.

"Natsumi! Yay!"

She wanted to pass out. Of ALL the people? She should've asked Killua and Gon and Kurapika and all the bodyguards to join! More people meant a lesser chance!

She didn't like the look on that boy's face. Soma was his name, wasn't it? Soma… Why did the name ring a bell?

"Okay, Natsumi!" he said. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," she replied almost immediately. She knew for a fact that in the memories of humans, a dare was most likely forgotten, while a spoken fact, such as the truth, would live on forever. Also, dares were most likely thought of right there and then, without plan, while questions for truth were always long-term thoughts that were never really voiced out in the open. She was safer in the dare category.

"Oh, now it's your chance, Soma-kun! She can't say 'no' now!" The whole room laughed.

And it struck her. Wasn't Soma the boy who, during Natsumi's speech as class representative, asked her out in front of everyone? He was a popular boy, and a lot of girls liked him. He was sure that she'd say yes. But she was stunned when he had asked that, and she simply said "no" and continued on speaking, as if nothing had happened. His rejection was the talk of the town for a whole month.

"This is my revenge, Natsumi!" he yelled as he stood up. "I'm glad you chose dare! We're going to kiss in front of everyone here! And Miyuki will take a picture of it!"

"Wh-what?!"

The girl beside her, Miyuki, held up her camera. She giggled.

"I've already got a cute picture of Natsumi. Another one will be wonderful!"

Natsumi backed away as she roughly shook her head.

"No! No! I choose truth! Truth!!"

"Sorry, you can't change your mind!"

They all set her in front of Soma while she kicked and screamed. But they were all stronger than she was.

"This is going to be in the yearbook! A very rare moment indeed!" one of the boys yelled.

No way. Was her first kiss going to be the result of a dare? People would be saying, "She was dared to kiss Soma, and she did." That didn't sound good! Didn't they value a kiss? Wasn't it something important that only happened between two people who sincerely loved each other? Not just something done on a whim?

"Go! Go! Go! Go!!" they all chanted.

Soma leaned in, and she instinctively leaned away, but the boys held her head and pushed it towards him. She was going to cry, she knew it. Maybe if she did, he'd stop! Yes. She could feel the tears forming now. But he was getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes, not for a romantic moment, but so that she wouldn't remember the image of someone kissing her. Then, she felt something cold on her lips.

"Oh, Illumi-kun and his friend are finally here!"

She opened her eyes. In front of her was a card, in between her lips and the boy's. Hisoka held it in place, a wide smile on his face. He chuckled happily.

"And there we go! What a sweet kiss that was!" he turned to the boy, his voice suddenly turning deadly. "If your lips find their way near her again, you won't even remember what the word 'kiss' means after I'm done with you. Now, shoo."

He raised his hand and flicked the boy's forehead, making the boy almost fly to the wall. Illumi snickered as he set down two heavy-looking plastic bags.

"Illumi-kun," one of the girls asked. "What's that?"

"Beer."

"Yay! You're so cool!"

In a matter of minutes, everyone was drinking, except Natsumi. They all cheered and played loud music, obviously having a wonderful time.

"Here you go," Hisoka said, giving her a can.

"No, thank you," she said sternly. "I'm underage."

"I know," he spoke. "This is apple juice. You're so cute."

She glared at him and took the can, examining it to make sure it was what he said it was. She drank it, obviously thirsty. Apparently, keeping up with the crazy crowd in her room was a great effort.

"I have a serious question to ask, princess," Hisoka said suddenly.

She glanced at him. He did look serious.

"What is it?"

"Do you really want to see your father?"

She paused. It was indeed a serious question. She looked at the room her mother was in.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"My mom is clueless about everything, including the pain she feels in her heart. To watch me grow up without a father… to be working at a young age and toiling for her to survive. It's painful for her, I know… Personally, I don't mind. I love doing things for her. But… I want to meet the man who subjected her to this life."

Hisoka went silent for a moment.

"Okay, then. Question answered. Oh, my heart jumped upon seeing you speak so seriously and lovingly! You are such a passionate princess! It makes me want to squeal!"

The group of girls who weren't with Illumi went over to Hisoka, one of them obviously already very drunk.

"Hey, hot stuff!" she said. "Illumi says you're quite the ladies man! Wanna use your skill on me?"

Hisoka smiled widely and glanced at Natsumi, to see what her reaction was. But she wasn't beside him anymore. Instead, she was beside Illumi with the other girls. He frowned, obviously not liking the development.

"Sure," he told the girl, bringing her to his lap. "Let's talk and try to make someone jealous."

Natsumi's focus was on Illumi the entire time, her cheeks even redder than they were before with Hisoka.

"Kurapika said you planned this," Natsumi finally said when the other girls went to the other boys in their class.

"Yes, Hisoka as well."

"Why?"

"So you can have fun. I saw that the Kuruta boy didn't give you much freedom."

"Oh… well, thank you for convincing him."

"Not a problem."

The doorbell suddenly rang, and one of the bodyguards peeked into the peephole.

"Did anyone order room service?" he asked.

"Oh, I did!" one of the girls said, running to the door.

The bodyguard opened the door and took the tray from the attendant and rolled it in.

"I ordered gourmet mozzarella sticks, you guys!"

The people huddled over it and began taking them one by one.

"Wow, these are good! Natsumi, come over here and try it!" one of them said.

Natsumi grabbed one and was about to bite it when Kurapika appeared and slapped it off her hand.

"Natsumi!" Kurapika yelled, his chains reacting violently. "I told you not to eat anything I didn't give you!"

"I'm sorry! I forgot!" Natsumi shouted back, afraid of his sudden outburst.

Kurapika grabbed the rest of the food from the others and kicked the rolling cart of food, making a mess on the floor. Everyone looked at him, surprised.

"Why don't you ever trust what I have to tell you?! How can I protect you if you won't listen to me?!"

"I said I was sorry!"

Kurapika looked at the bodyguard who had let the cart in.

"You! Get out of here! You'll never be working for anyone again!"

The man stumbled and ran out the door, afraid of him.

"Don't blame him! It wasn't his fault!"

He looked at her intensely, raising his hand.

"I have no choice. I'll have to force you to follow me. It's for your own good."

Her eyes widened, confused but nonetheless afraid. Tears began to fall. One of Kurapika's chains swayed, pointing towards her. She stopped her breathing. In an instant, Hisoka was behind him, a card to his throat.

"You said you'd protect her, but I am beginning to believe that you need to protect her from yourself. Otherwise, I will unfortunately have to do it myself."

It took Kurapika a full minute before he could compose himself once more. He dropped his hand and looked at her hopelessly. Gon and Killua went out the room, understanding what had happened. They took Kurapika to his own room, pity in their eyes.

"Come on, Kurapika..." Gon said, glancing at a frozen Natsumi..

"Natsumi, are you alright??" the girls ran to her.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine. Please don't worry about me."

"Oh! You're bleeding!"

Natsumi looked at the clean cut on the jacket. There was blood on it.

"Oh, I didn't even notice. The cart probably scratched it…"

Hisoka's eyes narrowed at the wound.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Illumi asked.

"Yes, I have one in my room…"

"I'll go get it."

"I'll go with you."

The two went to her room.

"Hisoka-kun," one girl yelled. "I was so terrified!"

"Yeah, me too! Natsumi's bodyguard is crazy!"

The girls crowded over him, and the boys glared at his luck. But Hisoka paid no attention anymore. He stared at the door that closed behind Natsumi.

Inside, she switched on the lamp and sat on her bed.

"It's under the sink, Illumi-kun," she said, blushing at the fact that the prince of her school was in her room.

She could hear him shuffling through the cabinet. He came out with the first aid kit in his hand. He hunched down and took her arm.

"Ouch," she said, wincing. "I didn't even realize it was that big."

There was a long cut that ran from her elbow to her wrist. It was a fairly clean cut. She wondered how the dull end of the cart had done that to her.

"You don't have to do this, you know," she said, embarrassed. "I'm quite used to it."

"It's fine. I do this for my younger brother as well."

"Killua? He's so young… and Gon, too. They must be strong to be bodyguards."

"Not strong enough…"

"Pardon me?"

"Nothing. I'm surprised you didn't let go of the apple juice Hisoka gave you when the blond boy accidentally pushed you to the ground."

"Oh… Well I didn't want to make a mess… Kurapika made one already… It would be difficult to clean if there was liquid involved."

"Your brain works wonders. It interests me. And the same goes for Hisoka. Did you know that he had bought that apple juice in the store when we bought the beer? It was like he knew you weren't going to drink anything alcoholic."

"Oh… Well… I didn't know…"

"There. All done."

Natsumi jumped up and looked at her bandaged arm. It was perfect, like someone in a hospital did it. If she had done it herself, it would have been messy.

She smiled at him, but he didn't smile back.

"Illumi-kun," she said. "Why don't you ever smile?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Hmm… yes. Sort of."

"Why?"

"Because… it's like you aren't happy."

"I rarely see you smile as well," he said. "You only pretend to smile when you're with your friends. The only real smile I see is when you see me whenever I visit the school."

Her cheeks went even hotter as she looked away, fiddling with her fingers.

"That's not true... I don't smile when I'm with my friends because they annoy me. But life would be boring without them. Even if I'm not smiling in the outside, my heart is smiling… And Kurapika makes me smile, too. Hisoka-san shouldn't have done what he did. I would've accepted whatever Kurapika was going to do to me with his chain."

"Are you sure about that? You were crying."

"Yes. I trust Kurapika. He is my friend."

"And how about Hisoka?"

Natsumi turned to him, her face annoyed.

"What about him?"

"Does he make you smile?"

She laughed aloud, finding his question bizarre. She stopped and realized that he was being serious. She stopped and thought… Did she ever smile because of Hisoka? He was weird, for one thing… It was a difficult question.

"Not really…" she replied. "Indirectly, I suppose."

All of a sudden, Illumi had pushed her to the wall, his face dangerously close to hers. She had stopped her breathing once more, her eyes wide in confusion. Her heartbeat raced, not knowing what to do. Up close, his face was absolutely terrifying. His bloodshot eyes… no emotion, whatsoever. And yet... that was the face she had been looking at ever since. It never changed... It never wavered. Was he a monster? Did she like monsters?

"So, I am one of the few that really makes you smile."

"Wh-what? No… many people make me smile, too…"

"But you just said so yourself, didn't you?"

"P-please let me go… I… Y-you're hurting me."

Tears once again began forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Tell me, is there anyone you like?"

"No… There isn't anyone…"

"Really? But you like me, don't you?"

"N-no! No, I don't! Not anymore!"

"Then why aren't you screaming right now?"

She fell silent. Whenever she was in danger, she could still think… but her body never followed her. She always just reacted… she never took action during the danger.

"H…HISO-!"

Illumi covered her mouth.

"Now, now. Let's not be hasty. I'm sure Hisoka won't mind… Maybe he'll share you with me. But I really don't know why he said that he couldn't kill you. Is it because you're just too entertaining to watch? In any case…"

He removed his hand and leaned in, but yet another card flew in between them, almost touching Natsumi's lips. Illumi didn't flinch and simply turned to the side.

"How'd you know?" he asked, like a kid getting caught.

"The cart did hit her, but the cut was too clean. How dare you touch her."

Hisoka's face was threatening, his eyes focused in warning. Illumi chuckled and lifted his hands in defense, backing away from where Natsumi stood.

"I had to get her alone somehow. And besides, I didn't think you'd mind. I just wanted to see her cry... or maybe a peck on the lips, to make Milluki jealous."

"She is mine. Thus, her lips are mine as well."

"Oh my. Then I would have kissed your lips. What a sickening thought."

"In normal circumstances, I would have laughed. But you've upset me a great deal, Illumi."

"I didn't think you were this serious. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even tried. I sincerely apologize."

"Not to me," Hisoka said, his words piercing. "I will not forgive you unless the princess has forgiven you herself."

"Okay, then. Princess-"

"I am not allowing you to call her that."

"Natsumi-chan-"

"Nor that."

"Hasegawa Natsumi-san… I-"

But Natsumi dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Oh, she fainted…" Illumi commented. "That makes it easier for us now, doesn't it?"

Hisoka carried her in his arms.

"I still haven't forgiven you," Hisoka said. "But the plan will push through."

"Then let's go. We're already late."

Illumi threw an envelope on the bed. It read "As promised." He opened the sliding door of the balcony and jumped down, followed by Hisoka, who held Natsumi close.

"You know," Illumi said in mid-air. "She was about to scream your name."

"Really?"

"So do you forgive me for at least the cut I gave her?"

"Hmm... if the cut heals and leaves no scar, then perhaps."

"I figured. That's why I made it as clean as I could."

* * *

Boo yeah! How was that? Long, huh? It took me a while to write this! Hahaha. But I hope you guys enjoyed it.

I wonder what'll happen now…

I'm really excited about Chapter 6! Yay!!

Please review! I really appreciate it! :D


	7. Kidnapped

Hello, people! I'm sure many of you would want to throw sharp objects at me right now because I haven't uploaded in a long time! I sincerely apologize! I've been so busy around the house, and my family needs me for various things like move-ins to dorms and cooking and dental surgery. Haha. 'Tis true.

But here you are. I personally enjoy this chapter. I hope you do as well!

So, on with it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I do own however, Natsumi and everything about her.

**Chapter 6: Kidnapped**

* * *

_What do you see in me?_

_Is it my passion, my strength?_

_Or is it something you cannot merely see_

_But only feel with utter sensitivity?_

_I must know to take better care of it  
_

_So that our love_

_Will last longer than eternity  
_

* * *

Natsumi opened her eyes… She was used to waking up in places she couldn't remember being brought to. But this time, it was different. She was in the arms of someone… She looked up to see whose chin was resting on her head. Her cheeks reacted, burning red.

"Hisoka-san!" she shouted.

He looked down at her and smiled widely.

"Oh, you're awake," he said simply. "Are you hungry? I have instant noodles with me… Or if you want, we could stop by a restaurant."

She tried to squirm free, but she had forgotten how abnormally strong he was. Her heartbeat was the fastest it had ever been…

They were in the backseat of a limousine, and though there were many empty seats available, Hisoka had set her on his lap, with her legs tucked to the side. His arms were around her completely… And he was warm. It was only now that she recognized how bulky he was compared to her. If he could bend, his torso could envelope itself around her entire upper-half. And his arms… they were so muscular… So stiff. And yet the way he held her was just gentle… And with his impossibly smooth skin, it almost felt comfortable.

This was the first time, she mused, since that day they first met, that Hisoka had ever touched her again…

"Can you please let me go?" she pleaded. "This is very inappropriate!"

"But you're comfortable, right?"

"Th-that doesn't matter! And besides, I'm still wearing my pajamas! And where's my sweatshirt?!"

"I took it off. You were sweating."

"You just wanted to see me in my tank top!"

"Oh, won't you just let me have fun?"

"Not at my expense… Now let me go!"

"Not a chance. I like this."

Natsumi glared at the other end of the limo, where the driver was. But she couldn't see that far… it was blurry. She pouted… She didn't usually give up this fast. Did she really like being in his arms? She blushed even more.

"How sweet. She has accepted her fate."

A voice suddenly came from the left.

"Illumi-kun!" Natsumi blurted out. She hadn't seen him there. Her arms began shaking as she shuddered. Though she had other things in mind, she had remembered clearly what he had just tried to do before she passed out. Hisoka bent down low and tucked his chin on the crook of her neck, as if to make her stop shaking… Like he was reassuring her it was fine.

"I'm here, so he won't try anything," he said, his voice playful. It didn't suit the statement.

"And don't think that I did what I did because I have a… what do people call it… a crush… on you," Illumi said, his face still very blank. "Girls usually jump to those conclusions. I just wanted to see you cry. That's all. But I wish you could forgive me. After all, if you won't, then Hisoka won't as well."

Natsumi blinked and tried to face Hisoka, but his face was right beside hers, so she couldn't even turn sideways.

"That's kind of…mean," Natsumi said, shifting slightly. "If you had wanted to see me cry… you should've just watched a sad movie with me."

"Hisoka, I think she's asking me out," Illumi said.

Natsumi's face scrunched up in embarrassment, having been caught off-guard.

"N-no, I wasn't! If you were a girl, I'd have said that, too!"

"But I'm not a girl, am I?"

All of a sudden, Natsumi's head felt light, and then went heavy again. This feeling… it usually happened when her brain was telling her that she was missing something. Natsumi stiffened in Hisoka's hold.

"Hisoka-san… before I fainted… Illumi-kun said something… about you… That you couldn't kill me…"

She felt Hisoka's grip tighten, and she could tell that Hisoka was glaring at Illumi. The other man shrugged and crossed his arms in passiveness. He crossed his legs as well, not really interested.

"You told her?" Hisoka asked, annoyed. "Idiot."

"How was I supposed to know that she would remember? She looked so terrified that I thought she wasn't listening… And besides, normal people really wouldn't even be able to recall."

"I told you she's a sharp one. Now she knows."

Natsumi looked at the exchange. The two were like old friends… like they knew each other since they were kids. Or did something bind them together so strongly that anything would be forgiven? She didn't know if Illumi was like Kurapika and Hisoka… strong and almost merciless. But with the way he was so calm in Hisoka's presence, maybe he was.

"Well, then… tell me why I shouldn't be afraid of you, Hisoka-san!" she yelled, struggling now to get away from him. He finally let her go, and the moving vehicle abruptly stopped, making her fall to the ground. Her injured arm hit the floor, and she winced.

She saw Illumi roll his eyes at her weakness, and she glared in return. She jumped to the seat farthest away from the two and held on to the narrow ledge of the black-tinted window to keep herself in place.

Hisoka sighed.

"I don't think now is the time, princess. But if you'll return to my lap, I'll gladly tell you."

She gritted her teeth. Then there it was. The feeling of her brain going from light to heavy again. It was much stronger than before. She was still missing something… Then, it hit her. She was so stupid!

"Where are you taking me?!" she yelled, even louder than before.

Hisoka chuckled at her scared expression and clapped his hands together. He gazed at her with that wide smile, and she flinched at the look he gave her… An arrogant look, with his eyes merely slits… Like he definitely wanted to eat her right there.

"You are so inconsistent," he teased. "You were displaying such prominent brain skills one second, and then revealing that you've missed the entire point the next. How cute!"

Natsumi ignored the last statement. She was sure that he was simply trying to distract her from the truth. Or was it because she already knew?

"The Genei Ryodan… You're taking me to them!" she breathed out.

Hisoka laughed again, amused and obviously having a great time.

"Illumi-kun… You're part of the Genei Ryodan too??" she said unbelievingly.

"No, I'm not. I'm merely doing Hisoka a favor," he replied. She could tell he wasn't lying. But then again, like Hisoka, he was difficult to read.

"A… a favor?" she repeated.

"Yup!" Hisoka cheered himself. "The blond boy needed two invitations to Alphonse's celebration, and Illumi, being in the Zaoldyeck family, had around ten to spare. So, I made blondie two offers. For one invitation, he was to allow you to have a slumber party. For two invitations, your friends, and both Illumi and I, could be in the slumber party. Easier said than done, actually."

"I convinced the Kuruta boy," Illumi continued. "To give you a slumber party… by telling him that you'd think of him as a friend more than a bodyguard, and thus making his job easier. It worked both ways; I was surprised. He really seems to value your friendship."

A few tears found their way in the corners of her eyes and spilled over.

"You tricked Kurapika! The slumber party was a decoy! How dare you trick him!" she yelled.

"Really now?" Hisoka said, toying with a card that had appeared out of nowhere. "Well… why do you think he'd allow the both of us to come? Doesn't it show his desperation for TWO invitations? Couldn't he have only asked for one, and then went there himself to take on Alphonse alone? After all, everyone knows he is capable."

Hisoka glanced at her. He laughed when he saw the realization sinking in. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"He… he was going to take me... to Alphonse…"

"Well, not really," Hisoka said playfully, though slightly tired of explaining. "He was going to take you to the celebration, sure. But he wasn't going to let you see Alphonse, and he wasn't going to let Alphonse see you. He was just going to use you-"

"As bait… Like my original role in the operation…" Natsumi finished.

"Cha-ching!" Hisoka cheered once more. "See, Illumi? I told you she was entertaining!"

"Yeah, yeah. But you'll tire of her someday, I just know it."

"Hmph."

Illumi was apparently oblivious to the despair she felt, and Natsumi wasn't sure if Hisoka was just as oblivious. But he went over to her seat and set her on his lap. She didn't fight anymore. He had a tight frown on his face as he held on to her closely and protectively… almost possessively.

"You better eat, princess," he spoke. "I don't want to be worried about you any longer."

"I'm not hungry…"

"You'll regret it. Eat, please."

"No."

"Well then… at least do me a favor. Remember this conversation of ours… because it will help you forgive me."

She didn't bother to understand what he meant by it. The revelation of Kurapika's plan… it was just too much for her. She closed her eyes, tired. Whatever was going to happen now, she knew she wouldn't be able to control any of it.

Hisoka, Illumi, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, the Genei Ryodan… her friends… her mom… her life.

She was definitely in a movie she didn't want to be in. Why didn't she run away when she had the chance?

* * *

_When I am with you,  
_

_My hand entwined yours,_

_It makes me believe that I exist_

_Solely for your love_

* * *

A loud crash was heard in the penthouse - a group of people struggling to keep someone at bay.

"Kurapika, stop this! You can't do anything about it right now!"

"Let me go!"

Gon held on to Kurapika's leg as Killua grappled his arm. Natsumi's mother watched on as the desperate boy tried to escape their clutches.

"What're you going to do anyway? March right in there and kidnap her back? They're going to kill you within half a second of sensing you!" Killua yelled.

"I don't care! Hisoka fooled me!"

"He fooled us all. We all should've seen it coming. He fulfilled his promise, but took her without permission," Gon said.

Kurapika fell to the floor, feeling helpless. He punched the floor, creating a huge crack.

"Restrain yourself, Kurapika!" Killua yelled. "They need Natsumi alive in order to get in the celebration, after all. They won't harm her. At least I don't think they will," Killua trailed off.

Kurapika gritted his teeth, making the side of his mouth bleed. He pounded on the floor once more.

Gon took the piece of paper on the floor, which was apparently crumpled out of frustration. He read it out loud.

_As promised, blond boy, Illumi is giving you two invitations to Alexander's annual celebration. However, we are taking the princess with us, so you just have to find someone else to go with. Her prince._

Kurapika screamed and held his head, confused about what he was going to do. He grabbed the table and threw it to the wall, destroying it completely.

"Only five days left," Kurapika said, panting. "I will definitely get her back by then."

Killua and Gon looked at each other, worried about whatever he was thinking.

* * *

Natsumi slowly opened her eyes. There was a bright light coming from the ceiling… a fluorescent lamp. She closed her eyes again, trying to adjust her vision. After a few more tries, she could see more clearly. She sat up, feeling cold. Her back was painful, and her head was sore. She was on the floor of some dirty place… Apparently it was a dark place too… The only light came from the light above her.

"Oh, she's awake. I thought she'd never wake up."

A woman's soft voice came from somewhere around her… but where? She could make out the silhouettes of people… a lot of them. She was in the middle of everyone, under the light, like she was being watched.

"Wh-who's there?"

"Aww, she's scared," a man's voice came.

Her body shook as she tried to stand up. But her legs were too weak, and she just fell back down again. How long had she been asleep? As if on cue, more sets of lights were switched on, one by one, revealing the people who surrounded her. There were 7 of them, each looking different from the rest… Then two shadows approached them. Illumi and Hisoka.

"Hisoka! Illumi-kun!"

Her head suddenly ached and she fell to her knees, her eyes closed shut. How did she get there?

"Looks like the Zaoldyecks are true to their word, after all," a small boy, who had a bandanna over his mouth, spoke. "As agreed, we will give you Alphonse's estate when we're done with him."

"I appreciate it," Illumi said. Then he looked at Natsumi. "However, I must seek her forgiveness before I leave. Otherwise, Hisoka and I will no longer be comrades."

The rest of the people looked at each other, confused. Hisoka didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Natsumi. And she didn't know what was going on.

"Do you forgive me?" Illumi asked again. She could tell that, from his tone, he was sincere… But he was apologizing for the sake of someone else.

"No, I don't. Not just yet," she said, glaring at him. Apparently, any trace of her interest in him had faded.

Illumi looked at Hisoka and shrugged.

"Maybe next time. I'll see you around."

Illumi turned and left, disappearing into the darkness.

Hisoka jumped and sat on one of the crates. He still hadn't looked at her. Her hands began to shake, and her stomach felt like it was erupting. She began to sweat, and her breathing became rapid. The Genei Ryodan. The Spiders. She was in the midst of killers…

"Y-you… you really brought me to them…" she said, obviously talking to Hisoka. It was only then that he looked at her. He had a blank look on his face, apparently not affected by her.

"The blond boy told you not to trust me, didn't he? You should have followed him. Naughty girl."

His voice was frigid but teasing. She tried to decipher the meaning of his words… but there was nothing hidden. He betrayed her. That was it.

"So…" she said, a few tears escaping. "All the attention… All the words… And this…"

She took the phone from her pocket and looked at the backside. "Natsumi." She glared and threw it at him. It hit the wall behind him, and he didn't even try to dodge it.

"I hate you."

He still hadn't responded, and his face never faltered. So it was true…

"Geez, Hisoka!" a boy with light brown hair said. "What did you do to her?"

Natsumi looked at the boy who spoke. He was young… Maybe older than she was by a few years. He had innocent-looking wide eyes, and he wore a maroon sleeveless top and pants of the same color. He seemed nice…

"I don't know," Hisoka said plainly.

She looked at the floor, and glanced at the bracelet on her arm - the one Kurapika had given her. She smirked.

"That won't work, you know," another man spoke.

She looked at him. He looked like a samurai… his tied long hair and his attire… and the wrapped stick that was most likely a sword.

"Wh-what? I… I don't know what you're talking… about…" she said.

She could hear herself stammering now… She was definitely afraid. The atmosphere in this room… They definitely didn't look normal… But some of them seemed harmless. This feeling of not knowing what they were capable of… Terror.

"That bracelet next to your watch," he said knowingly. "It's a transmitter, right? But I'll have you know that the chain boy doesn't even need such a thing, because he can find you with his abilities alone."

Natsumi's eyes faltered, afraid of his tone.

"That's a bluff," Natsumi said. "Otherwise, why would he give it to me in the first place?"

The guy laughed, amused at her ignorance.

"Obviously," he said. "If you wanted to run away from him, then you would have taken it off. That would've set something off that would've given him the idea that you were going to start running away. So he'd get to you first. Wow, and they said you were smart."

Natsumi's eyes widened. But he was missing something. She pretended to be defeated and slumped forward.

"Aww, come on, Nobunaga! Don't tease her that way! She's already so broken," a girl's voice came.

The girl had glasses on. She wore a black long-sleeved top and jeans. She had wide, innocent eyes and short black hair. Once again, like the boy, she seemed nice. Was this the Ryodan? Really?

"Aww, come on, Shizuku," Nobunaga said. "It's so boring around here. Finally, we can have some fun!"

"Hmm…" Shizuku mumbled, then stared blankly into space, obviously daydreaming.

It was then that Natsumi saw the beautiful woman – the woman who was with Hisoka that first time they met. And she was still just as stunning as the first time. How could anyone be so beautiful? She noticed, too, that out of all the empty spaces that Hisoka could sit down on, he sat on the one that was closest to that beautiful woman. So, that was it. They were together before, and they're together now. It was obvious… With a woman like that, Hisoka would never even look twice back at her… so plain and so stupid. So unattractive.

She didn't even know why she felt so betrayed right now. She never did like his attention! He was annoying, wasn't he? So shouldn't she be glad that it was over?

"Y-you…" Natsumi said, still afraid. "You were with him that night, weren't you? The beautiful woman."

The woman merely glanced at her, and then looked away without even answering. Natsumi winced at the uncaring facade.

"Feitan," the beautiful woman spoke instead. "What do we do with her until the celebration? It's a bit far from today… And the chain boy might be able to find her here."

Feitan was the young boy who looked like a bandit, apparently. He looked at her with his slit eyes, and Natsumi flinched at the deadly gaze.

"I don't really know, Machi…" he said. "We didn't plan this far into things. Shalnark, any ideas?"

The boy in maroon pouted.

"Aww, why me again?"

"Because you're usually the one with ideas."

This time, the biggest man spoke. Out of everyone, he was probably the one Natsumi would be afraid of. He was big, bulky, and he resembled Frakenstein. He had scars on his face, too. But somehow, Natsumi felt more at ease with him than with anyone else, though she didn't trust herself anymore.

"Aww, man. Why'd you have to volunteer me, Franklin?" he pouted.

"Just think of something, Shalnark," Machi snapped.

Shalnark cringed at her order, then shrugged. He tapped his cheek with his finger as he thought.

"Well, we could go and have some fun… but then we can't just leave the girl here…"

"Yeah, it wouldn't be too fun if we had to go around while dragging the girl along…"

"Maybe we could tie her up?"

"Aww, but the girl's eyes tell me that she'd try to escape, despite the risks involved…"

"But if this girl-"

"Damn it, I have a name!" Natsumi suddenly yelled out loud.

The whole room was silenced, and Hisoka glanced at her a second time, his gaze sharpening. He looked at her as if she was crazy. Natsumi faced the floor as she sat on her heels. She bit her lip, regretting that she spoke. These were killers! What was she doing? Was she provoking them? She was stupid! But she couldn't stop herself. Her blood boiled. She felt fear like no other… and yet she continued on. There was her body again, disobeying her mind, like it usually did.

"Stop talking like I'm not even here. I have a name. It's Natsumi. I know you all know it, so why don't you just use it?! You've got me here as a prisoner, watching me like I'm some kind of museum artifact. At least give me the respect I deserve!"

In a flash, Feitan was in front of her, clutching her head like it was an egg. She didn't know his small hand could hold even a volleyball. But here he was, squeezing her head with a single hand. More tears flowed down as the pain registered in her brain.

"Respect you deserve?" he almost chuckled. "What makes you think you deserve anything from us? GIRL."

And despite the overflowing fear she felt right now, she found herself chuckling at his words.

"Yes, I am a girl. And yes, I do deserve some respect. E-either you had a bad childhood, or you're just… a bigot."

She heard him growl. She was definitely going to get it now. He raised her high, and with a strong swing, he threw her to the farthest end of the warehouse. She closed her eyes and waited for the pain from the impact… but she found herself hitting another body. She opened her eyes and looked up. It was still Feitan.

"Fine, Natsumi," he spoke, mocking her name. "The Genei Ryodan needs you alive. So until then, you better not provoke any of us… because some of us have a little less self-control than I."

And he dragged her to the center of the room again, leaving her stunned.

"So, what happens now?" Franklin said, as if nothing had happened.

"Well," Shalnark said. "We can keep her in the small storage room at the back."

"Yeah, that'll work," Nobunaga said.

"I think she's hungry," Shizuku pointed out. "Look, she's going to... Oh, too late. She fainted."

"Geez, Hisoka!" Shalnark said again. "Didn't you feed her anything on the way here?"

"She said she wasn't hungry. Not my fault." Hisoka replied.

Franklin took her and threw her on his shoulder.

"Passing out twice in a row? I didn't know normal humans could be this weak. I'll bring her to the storage room. Can someone get her something to eat?"

* * *

_I won't believe it,_

_Not a word_

_Because if it is indeed the truth_

_Then I have lost my soul_

* * *

Franklin came out from the storage room, with a plastic cup of chocolate pudding splattered on his head. The others looked at him and began laughing.

"Your head hungry, pal?" Nobunaga laughed.

He growled.

"She won't eat. She said she'd rather die of hunger than to assist us by being healthy enough to go to the annual celebration."

"What a stubborn kid," Feitan mumbled.

"Oh, she also wanted to tell you, Hisoka," Franklin continued, "That she hates you. And that if she saw you again, she'd slap you."

Hisoka rolled his eyes, quite annoyed.

"Seriously, Hisoka," Shalnark laughed. "I know a lot of people hate you. But she seems to really despise your very core. What did you do to her?"

"I told you, I don't know. Apparently, giving her a cellphone nowadays means 'Let's grow old together and die together.' Girl fantasy."

"Wow," Shizuku said. "And I thought she was smarter than that. Does her ranking really exceed Shalnark's in terms of intelligence?"

Shalnark pouted. "That ranking is unofficial! And besides, it was only by half a point. So technically, we're even. Right, Machi? Defend me over here!"

Machi crossed her arms, not really caring too much.

"Whatever. We need her to be able to at least walk during the party. I don't care about her mental well-being."

"Oh, I've got an idea!" Nobunaga piped in. "I can slice open her stomach, then we can fill it up with food, then Machi can sew it up back again."

"No," Feitan said. "Didn't one of you guys search her medical records, and say that she was a bleeder?"

"I can't sew it closed if she can't even control her own bleeding," Machi added.

"Well… what now? We can't just let her die…" Shizuku said. "Wow. Can you believe it? This girl is making us think! It's like that time when we were after the chain boy."

Shizuku's absentminded realization hit everyone, and they all suddenly laughed together.

"How embarrassing," Shalnark said. "I bet the boss would have just asked her to eat, and with his beautiful voice, she would have followed."

"Let's just wait… maybe she'll eat when she can't bear the hunger any longer," Franklin added.

"Why don't you just use your charm on her again, Hisoka?" Shizuku asked.

Hisoka had his chin on his palm, uncaring.

"I don't care if she starves. She's your problem now."

* * *

Kurapika dropped the phone from his ear and glared at the curtains, which were swaying with the wind. He was in Natsumi's room, on her bed. It hadn't been touched since she was kidnapped. Gon and Killua walked in.

"Still no answer?" Killua asked, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed.

"No," Kurapika replied, his voice icy. "Her phone is dead."

"Maybe Hisoka gave you the wrong number. Maybe, if she gets the chance, she'll call you," Gon said, thinking positively.

"I highly doubt it. And she doesn't know my number. Even if she did have the chance to call, she wouldn't know how to contact me. And she hasn't used the bracelet to communicate with me as well…"

"I don't know if it means anything," Killua said. "But I apologize for my brother. We all know he and Hisoka are snakes."

Kurapika didn't reply.

"I'm worried about Natsumi, though," Gon said.

"Of course," Killua added. "She's with the Ryodan after all. They weren't nice to us when they captured us, either."

"No, no…" Gon replied. "I'm worried about her because… deep in her heart, she trusted Hisoka. I don't know how she'll deal with the betrayal."

Kurapika stood up and punched the balcony windows, breaking them in the process. His eyes turned red under the contact lenses.

"I will definitely… kill that man."

* * *

_Exchanging mere glances with you..._

_Each glance takes my breath away_

* * *

Natsumi was in the small storage room… It was small, just the size of a baby's bedroom. She was on the floor in one of the corners. She had her legs close to her torso, her arms wrapped around them tightly. She felt lightheaded, and her vision was even blurrier than before. She breathed heavily. She hadn't eaten anything since the slumber party… Just a few chips and the apple juice that Hisoka had given her.

Hisoka…

She slowly slid to the ground, her position still unchanging. More tears fell down, wetting the floor under her face. She bit her lip. She didn't want to make a sound. The Genei Ryodan… She wouldn't let them overpower her. After all, didn't the good always win over the bad?

There was a growing pile of food in the opposite corner of the room. Every other hour, the members of the Spider group would bring her something to eat. They tried to coerce her to at least nibble at something, but she wouldn't speak to them. Not now. Not ever.

It was quiet outside… Maybe they were having a meeting again. Slowly and shakily, she brought the bracelet to her mouth. Using her chin, she weakly pressed the ruby.

"Ku..." she panted… even speaking was a chore. "Kura…pika… Kurapika…"

She whispered on and on… She had pretended that the bracelet was only a transmitter to that Nobunaga man. After all, they didn't seem to care about it much. They didn't even take it from her. They didn't know it was a communicator too, she mused. Did Hisoka know? Maybe he didn't, because he didn't seem to tell the rest of the group.

"Kurapika… Kurapi…ka…"

After a full minute, the tiny ruby beeped an inaudible tone.

"Natsumi?! Is that you?!"

Kurapika's voice was distorted, but she could tell it was him. His worried voice, his exaggerated words… She smiled weakly, another tear spilling over… A tear meant only for him.

"Kurapika…" she breathed, satisfied even with just his voice. "Of course it's me… I miss you… You'd… be proud… because… I'm not… eating… anything… you didn't… give me… yourself…"

* * *

End of chapter!

So how was it? I really, really, really apologize that I was late into uploading! As I said, I was really busy with so many things!

I will write the next chapter as soon as I can and upload it right the second I finish writing it! :D

Please review! I love your feedback. :D


	8. Stockholm Syndrome

Hello, people!! And here we have Chapter 7!! More things are going to happen to Natsumi! I'm so excited for you guys to read this chapter!!

Does anyone watch tennis? The US Open? In any case… Go Rafael Nadal!! Hahahaha. He's my favorite tennis player. But you probably didn't really care much so…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi and stuff that's related to her.

**Chapter 7: Stockholm Syndrome**

* * *

_No matter what_

_No matter when_

_No matter how_

_I will still be yours_

* * *

She was dead.

Well, at least she felt like she was.

She's been sprawled on the cold ground for God knows how long. She was hungry, dirty, and most likely stinky. But she wasn't giving up. Never. Not to these killers at least. It didn't help that each time someone walked in to try to feed her, the food they brought smelled so delicious and appetizing that her mouth watered, if her body still had any water in it. The conversation with Kurapika helped in a way… to keep her sanity. He promised that he'd come save her, but he didn't have a plan yet. Well, she couldn't blame him. The Genei Ryodan seemed laidback, but they were difficult to get past.

The door creaked open and immediately closed back. Natsumi blinked and cleared her throat. Were they playing mind games now? She almost grinned at their desperation, but she didn't have any energy left to do anything but stare at the blank space in front of her.

"You look dead."

The cold woman's voice came from the dark corner opposite her position. Natsumi shifted her head to look. It was Machi.

"Maybe I am," she replied flatly.

So Machi was just too fast for her to see that she had entered the room. Huh. Figures. Did they really have to act so supernatural in front of her? She already knew she was as weak as a snail under someone's foot. It was overkill to keep rubbing it in.

"You haven't touched anything we've given you," she said, her voice soft but sharp.

She pointed to the pile of junk food, sandwiches, gourmet platters, instant noodles… there was everything of everything. Natsumi looked at the growing pile and checked what Machi had added to the growing collection. A box of pizza… Damn.

Natsumi's tummy rumbled loudly, begging for it to be fed. But she was tougher than this! She wouldn't give in. She knew that the Genei Ryodan wanted…no… _needed_ her alive, so she was sure they wouldn't poison her. So she was getting to their nerves, then. Good.

Machi crossed her arms and leaned casually on the wall. It was dark, but her beauty still shone through the shadows. Natsumi looked away. The last shred of her self-esteem would fly out the window if she began comparing herself to the goddess before her.

"Why do you refuse, anyway?" she asked, curiosity altering her harsh voice.

Natsumi bit her lip, not really knowing the reason. But she answered anyway.

"Kurapika told me not to eat anything he didn't give me himself…"

She heard Machi scoff at her words.

"Do you really think we'd poison your food? I think if chain boy knew what state you were in right now, he'd feed you himself with the first thing he could get his hands on from this pile."

Natsumi flinched. Her conversation with Kurapika was short. He was too alarmed that she was able to communicate with him that he didn't even rethink what she had told him… that she wasn't eating. Sometimes, he really did cause more destruction because of his emotions. No matter how tunnel-viewed he was, things still slipped through.

"Do you want me to grab your neck and forcefully feed you? Because I can. You know I can."

Machi's tone was getting deadlier by the second. But Natsumi wouldn't let her get to her. She smiled weakly.

"I'm not questioning your ability," she involuntarily shook. "I'm merely saying no."

Machi's cat-like, beautiful eyes narrowed.

"The pizza is good… the best in town."

"Good for you."

"Eat it."

"No, thank you. You can have it, if you want."

Machi glared through the shadows and finally took a step forward. She raised her arms as if defending herself from a blow. Then all of a sudden, Natsumi felt her body move on its own. Her arms and legs went limp, although she could feel sharp pain on each limb. She felt like someone was tying sharp pieces of string everywhere, then pulling them tightly together to simply induce pain. She groaned as her legs were forced to straighten, making her appear like she was standing up. Her arms hung loosely in the air. She looked like a puppet.

"You can't see the strings, can you?" Machi asked, as if boasting about her ability.

Strings? Natsumi could feel them. But she couldn't SEE them. What was happening?

"It's called nen," Machi went on as she moved her arms. Natsumi's legs moved as if taking a step, simultaneously, taking turns… She was walking toward the pile of food.

"You wouldn't know what nen is, because weak people are kept in the dark. More accurately, even if you knew about it, you'd have to _be able_ to master it."

A few tears escaped Natsumi's eyes. So she wasn't out of water just yet. What was she talking about? Nen? Was this woman crazy? Or maybe she herself was the crazy one. She was being controlled with strings? Strings created from… nen? She winced. A few drops of blood smeared on the floor as she dragged her feet past it. These strings were sharp.

"Now, eat," Machi commanded.

Natsumi's arms shakily but precisely reached out for the pizza box. More waves of sharp pain made themselves known. They were in her fingers now. Did she attach more strings? Her fingers dexterously opened the pizza box, but she wasn't controlling them.

"Stop it!" Natsumi yelled, the pain beginning to be unbearable. "Please! It hurts!"

More blood dripped to the floor. The drops came from her fingers now. She was slowly reaching out for one of the slices… but then she stopped. Machi's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"What are you doing?" she breathed out.

Natsumi didn't answer. Despite the pain, she tried to back away from Machi. She dragged her legs away, curling her fingers at the same time, as if forming clawed hands, trying to go against the so-called nen strings. She could see the marks on her skin, followed by blood. She clenched her fists tightly, ignoring the pain as the strings grew tighter in command. She panted heavily and laboriously as she shook violently, trying to get away from the invisible weapons.

Machi watched on as the weak girl pulled herself farther away, to the opposite of the room. Then, in irritation, Machi let her arms down. Natsumi was flicked backwards to the wall, as if winning a tug-of-war. She slumped down, her blood staining the wall as she fell. Machi sneered.

"What were you doing?"

It took a while before Natsumi could muster the energy to answer. Her arms regained their color as the blood flowed through once again. She slowly looked up at her destroyer.

"The farther away an object is stretched… the easier it is to break."

Machi's face didn't falter, but Natsumi saw a flicker in her eyes… something she didn't recognize. Or maybe it was that in itself. Recognition.

"Hmph."

Machi turned to the door and left. Natsumi smiled in triumph.

* * *

_Your pain is also mine_

_Why won't you understand that?_

_Despite the distance and bitter taste_

_I still love you…_

* * *

"Wow. She did that?" Shalnark asked, dumbfounded.

Machi had her arms crossed as she leaned on one of the big crates. She shrugged and didn't reply.

"She still didn't eat, though…" Shizuku added.

"She's tougher than I thought. Tugging on strings of nen to make it break. She's crazy!" Shalnark laughed.

"She was right about the distance thing, though," Franklin spoke. "It's just that the storage room is too small to make way for enough distance to break it."

"Hmm… to think that a normal human, without any knowledge of nen, figured that out. The boss would've been impressed."

There was a long moment of silence as they all contemplated about their leader. Natsumi couldn't hear their words, but she did listen to the muted tones that escaped through the spaces around the door. She glanced at the wall, as if looking at them. The tone had suddenly changed… like they were almost sad. No, impossible. Maybe her ears were beginning to fail her.

Back outside, they went back to their previous discussion.

"Hey, Shalnark," Nobunaga called out, suddenly joining in. "Why don't you just control her with your phone?"

The idea hit everyone like ice in their pants. They all nodded in agreement and looked at the smart boy.

"Why didn't you think about it earlier, Shalnark?" Machi said, accusingly. "I would imagine that it would've been the first idea you should have come up with."

Though Machi's gaze and voice were sharp and venomous, he merely shrugged and took out his phone, twirling it around like a toy in his dexterous hands.

"Yeah. I did think about it. But then… I've never really tried allowing my pawn to live right after being controlled, you know? Never felt the need for them to live. But still… I'm not even sure if they died because of being controlled, or they just lacked the will to live… Like I said, I've never tried, so if I used it on Natsumi…"

It was silent again.

"You'll never know if you don't try."

Hisoka's voice broke through the silence, and everyone's eyes were on him now. He had that wide malicious smile on once again, obviously having thoughts that nobody else was thinking. He was subconsciously toying with a card in his hands, balancing it on his finger, then making it jump to another finger. Though he was talking to them, his face was distant… like he was grinning at a deadly fantasy.

"We need her alive, Hisoka," Shalnark rolled his eyes. "We don't know what could happen."

Hisoka looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He licked his lips.

"Like I said, you'll never know if you don't try, silly boy."

Shalnark looked at his phone and began twirling it around again.

"It's too big a risk…" he trailed off. His desire for the success of the mission was evident in his eyes.

For a while, no one spoke. Then Hisoka stood up, stretching. Everyone glanced at him.

"Try it on me first, then."

Everyone's eyes widened at what he said. He said it so casually, too. He began walking towards the torn boy.

"Are you crazy?" Machi snapped.

He smirked and raised a brow. He bent closer and traced her cheek down to her jaw. She didn't move this time. Her eyes narrowed as she let him do as he pleased, if only to stop a member of the Ryodan from sacrificing his life. He took a strand of her hair and twirled it around his finger.

"Concerned about me now, cute, little kitty?" he grinned.

"It's stupid. Kuroro will not like it."

Hisoka played a little more with her hair, ignoring her words. He tried to push his luck, tilting her head from her chin, slowly leaning in. He grinned widely. She didn't move. Then, he frowned. He took a step back and crossed his arms, as if trying to take a good look at her. Then, his blank eyes went to stare at the floor, as if longing for something else.

He turned around to Shalnark.

"Now, now," his grin was back again. "Let's just see what'll happen! Besides, I've always been curious… What does it feel like to be controlled by someone else? Oh, it's almost like a romantic yaoi film! Boy controls boy for-"

"Don't be weird!" Shalnark yelled.

Hisoka's face turned serious again.

"What did you say?" he asked, as if having heard the phrase somewhere before.

Shalnark blinked, confused.

"…Don't… be weird? Why?"

Hisoka shrugged. In a blink of an eye, he had the antenna from Shalnark's hands and scrutinized it.

"Hmm… So if I just stab myself anywhere with this, I'll be in your command, correct?" he asked.

Shalnark rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to risk it, Hisoka." He refused.

But with another smooth movement, Hisoka smirked and stabbed himself in the leg with it, making it seem like an injection gone wrong. Shalnark's reaction was too late, and Hisoka was as still as a statue. Well, he never really moved that often anyway. Shalnark growled and glanced at his phone.

A chibi version of Hisoka was at the bottom of the screen, in the middle of what seemed to be a map of the entire warehouse. Shalnark sighed and sat back down, controlling his new soldier.

"Left, right, left, forward, backward, right, backward..." Shalnark said, annoyed.

Hisoka walked precisely to the directions he had instructed. The rest of the group watched in awe as the most dangerous member followed with a blank face. He was just an empty shell... But then again, they didn't know what it was like to be controlled.

"Okay, now… let's see if he'll survive if I cancel the control and remove the antenna," Shalnark spoke, although no one was answering him. Everyone was still in awe at the hasty decision Hisoka had made. What if he didn't live?

Everyone held their breath as Shalnark pressed a button on his phone, closing his eyes as he did. A second past.

"Well, that wasn't as amusing as I thought it would be…" Hisoka said, disappointed. "I didn't feel cool or dangerous at all."

"It's not yet over, Hisoka." Shalnark said, sweating.

He went beside the jester and bent to stare at the antenna still lodged at his thigh. It was in there pretty deep. Shalnark sighed.

"I cancelled a pawn once, and he was still alive. Then when I pulled the antenna from him, he died. I don't know if it was because of me, though…"

Shalnark reached for it and hesitated to pull it out. His hands shook as it got closer. Then, before he could even touch it, Hisoka sighed and slapped his hand away, grabbing the stick and pulling it out with one swift motion. Blood trickled slowly from the puncture wound and stained the side of his white pants.

"See? No harm-"

Hisoka fell to his knees, panting heavily all of a sudden, his eyes stunned wide.

"Hisoka!" everyone yelled as they went to his side. They never did like him, but he was part of the Spider… a leg. He was just as important as everyone else.

Hisoka's hand shakily went to the bloody side, as if it hurt him like breaking a bone. But this wasn't right… It must've hurt a lot more, because he wouldn't even wince from merely breaking or fracturing a part of his body. It seemed like it was attacking his very nervous system…

Then, after a long moment of silence as he cringed in pain… Hisoka laughed. Everyone backed away. Maybe the pain was making him crazy. He stood up, like the pain was gone, and continued laughing. He clutched his stomach because of too much laughter, and he had tears in his eyes. It took them a minute to understand what he had done.

"HISOKA!!" they all yelled in unison once more, beating him up in annoyance.

Shalnark, whose heart had skipped several beats, almost fainted.

"Your faces, oh-so-priceless!" Hisoka yelled between punches and kicks.

After 5 minutes of hitting him, they all went back to their composed selves. Hisoka was on the floor, bruises slowly appearing here and there as he bled through his nose. He didn't look too bad, considering it was the Genei Ryodan who had beaten him up. He was still stronger than he looked.

He dusted his clothes and glanced at Shalnark, who was still on the floor, shaky.

"Now, now," Hisoka grinned. "There's no use sulking like a brokenhearted lovebird!"

Shalnark suppressed a sniff as he stood up, grabbing the bloody antenna and cleaning it off with some special cloth he took from his pocket. He looked at it intensely, and then looked at the door of the storage room.

* * *

_You can never lose me_

_Because I will never let you go_

* * *

Natsumi was sleeping… or maybe she just fainted a few minutes ago. Either way, her eyes opened slowly as she drifted back to consciousness. She felt something… she glanced at the door, having the impression that someone was doing the same. That meant that someone was coming for her again. She slowly sat up, shakily putting her knees together. She wrapped her arms around her legs and stared at the door, waiting for someone to come in.

The door slowly creaked until it was fully open. Natsumi squinted her eyes as they adjusted to the bright light coming from outside. After a few seconds, it was clear. The Genei Ryodan… they were outside, waiting for her, with Shalnark in the middle, holding some kind of… thin, sharp, twig. She wanted to shrink back into the corner, away from the light… but Hisoka's unsettling smile disturbed her. Her blood boiled once more.

Honestly, she had no idea where the energy was coming from. Sure, she had the brain power to think of a few interesting sarcastic comments, but to stand up and walk?

In three strides, she was in front of Hisoka, who was now staring at her incredulously. In a second, she raised her hand.

"Oh," Franklin whispered. "She's going to-"

_**SLAP!**_

The world went still.

Hisoka's head was turned to the side, his cheek slowly turning a light shade of pink. Natsumi had tears stinging her eyes, a deep scowl evident in her face. She slowly let her hand down, then, as if that was the last of her strength, her eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground.

* * *

_If only I could understand_

_What your smile means_

_What your eyes show…_

_What are you trying to say?_

* * *

How many times would she wake up, not knowing when she had lost consciousness? Lately, she would be waking up differently… somewhere she didn't know, in someone's arms, fainting again. But now… this was definitely not normal. Because she was moving… but she wasn't controlling her body.

It was then that she felt her mouth moving, as if chewing on something. Then she swallowed, involuntarily. She wanted to touch her face, but she couldn't. Her arms were messy with food. In front of her, there were empty boxes, cans, and bottles. Had she been eating?

"Oh, I think she's awake now." Shalnark said, having seen something blip on his phone.

They all looked at her, as if suddenly having something entertaining to watch after switching through boring channels. Natsumi felt the urge to stand and run to a dark corner. But she couldn't. She couldn't even speak! She panicked, her heart beating faster by the second. But her hands just kept stuffing her mouth with everything in the pile, and though she wanted to stop, she just kept going. And then there they were… her tears once again.

"Hey, Shalnark, I think she's had enough." Franklin said.

Shalnark looked at the big fellow beside him, blinking. Nobunaga stood up and walked to her, bending down to stare at her. Her face was blank, but her eyes told him to back off. He chuckled, and then poked at her stomach.

"Yeah, she's pretty full," he stated.

Natsumi couldn't even blink to show her confusion. But she did feel full. How did they get her to do that? While she was asleep? She knew it was possible to let someone drink a few drops of something … but eat? No. It was unheard of. In her science class, the Peristalsis Movement... It just didn't-

Her thoughts were cut off when suddenly, she fell on the side of her face, creating yet another gash above her eyebrow. She groaned as Shalnark went by her side and pulled something off her thigh. She winced because of the sharp pain.

"Sorry about that," he apologized.

She could feel her nerves being brought back to life again. Back to _her_. Shakily, but with more energy, she sat on her heels and once again, stared at the bunch of killers before her. They stared back.

"So," Nobunaga said, wrapping his arm around her neck. "We found a way to feed you. Cool, huh?"

"Please, stay away," she snapped.

But Nobunaga stayed in place, even swaying her from side to side, like he heard music that no one else could hear. She shivered at his touch… But then again, there wasn't much she could do. Sure, she had slapped Hisoka, but that was because she knew that he wouldn't-

Her thoughts were cut off again. Hisoka. Where was he? She looked around, looking for Machi… And she was right. There, beside the outrageously attractive, seductive, charming, sexy woman, was Hisoka. He could pretend to be oblivious all he wanted, but Natsumi knew better. Their close proximity was significant. She looked away, feeling stupid again.

This wasn't like her at all. So she lost the battle of eating. So what? There were more battles to win… or not. She figured they'd just beat her at it again… She tried to set her head to the right frequency.

"How long until the celebration?" she asked softly, partly sneering.

"Hmm…" Nobunaga thought. "You know, I really don't know."

"I was asking everyone, not just you," Natsumi retorted.

"Heh," Nobunaga blurted, pulling her closer. Her cheeks began showing life once again.

"Two days," Franklin replied. "You were in the room for 3 days. Do you want anything until then? Maybe a trip to the amusement park or a movie? Or would you like to swim in a pool? Anything at all."

Natsumi's eyes narrowed as her brain waves gave her things to say.

"I know what you're trying to do," she frowned. "Stockholm Syndrome."

They all looked at each other. It was obvious that they knew what it was. Of course they did! Aside from being murderers, they were kidnappers. They knew all the tricks in the book.

"What's that?" Shizuku asked.

Some people rolled their eyes, but Natsumi grinned at the opportunity.

"In 1973," she began, "There was a bank robbery in a city called Stockholm. There were many hostages, but few robbers. Soon, the police arrived at the scene, ready to arrest the bad guys. But when things went smoothly, the police suddenly found the hostages _defending_ the robbers. Quite the unusual result. It's a psychological defense; finding good in the superior or actually believing in what the bad side was fighting for. Sympathizing with the oppressor. I wouldn't blame the weak-hearted hostages. It was just their brains' way of handling the situation. However, that won't happen to me… Because whatever justification you may have for your actions, I won't buy it. Wrong is still wrong, and right is still right."

Five seconds passed, and Hisoka gave a light chuckle.

"And left is still left. But I have two left feet when I dance… Isn't that unfair?"

Natsumi growled and tried to stand up, but Nobunaga held her in place. She glanced at him. She didn't notice that his face was so close to hers. She blushed again, inching away from him. She wasn't going to run away. Couldn't she just leave her alone?

"So, back to square one," Shalnark said. "What now?"

They all began throwing ideas, and it annoyed her. So… they weren't after fulfilling the Stockholm Syndrome after all. Then what was all this? Wanting to have fun, having petty quarrels… It was almost like they were normal people. Except for the fact that they had deadly "powers."

"I could take her out," Nobunaga smirked.

They all looked at him. Natsumi mentally cringed.

"Why the sudden interest?" Feitan asked him.

He shrugged in response. "Well, she's so weak and cute. I've never dated anyone like that before."

Machi rolled her eyes. "You've never dated anyone like her because they're all afraid of you."

Nobunaga frowned, as if there was an unseen challenge he accepted.

"Yeah, but she's still beside me, isn't she?"

It was Natsumi's turn to frown. With a long breath, she glared at him.

"I was trying to pull myself away."

Nobunaga turned to face her as some of the people laughed.

"You were? I didn't feel any effort. Hmm. Come on, pull yourself again."

Her eye twitched. Were they making fun of her now? She obliged anyway, trying to pull herself to the opposite direction from where he casually sat. Nothing. He didn't even move a millimeter! It was like pulling a flagpole off the floor. No movement at all.

"Oh, now I feel it. Oh, look! She's sweating!"

Nobunaga cheered and patted her back a few times, which felt like someone slapping her with full force. She coughed twice, and then regained her composure. She wiped the sweat off her face. She felt like she had run 5 laps across her school's football field.

"So, you'll take her out, then," Machi said, dismissing it. She walked out, followed by the rest.

"Aww, I wanted to spend some time with her, too…" Shizuku wailed, following Machi out the door. The rest also followed suit, and Natsumi watched on helplessly.

Hisoka was the last to go out the door, chuckling at her predicament. When everyone was gone, Nobunaga cleared his throat.

"Let's go!" he pulled her forward and though she tried to stay in place, he dragged her along.

She was like a doll being pulled by a toddler in the dirt. They finally reached the suburban streets, and it was only then that Nobunaga realized he had been dragging her along. Apparently, her socks had already gone missing from the effort, and now her feet were getting red as they scraped on the pavement.

"You look horrible," he said. He pointed at her food-stained pajamas and tank top. Her hair was a mess, too.

"Yeah, I wonder why," she replied sarcastically.

He chuckled and stared at her. She glared at him again.

"WHAT?"

"You aren't embarrassed being seen out here like that?" he asked, curiosity evident in his face.

She rolled her eyes. "If I get attention, then good. After all, I'm the victim of a kidnapping."

He smirked. "Nobody knows you've been kidnapped except for the chain boy and his groupies."

"His _name_ is Kurapika. And his 'groupies' are his friends, Gon and Killua. And they're thousands of times cooler than you are."

For a moment, he just stared at her, nodding his head in approval. He seemed amused… just like Hisoka was. UGH. Hisoka. Would he get out of her head already?

"In any case," he finally said, walking and pulling her along. "No one can get you while I'm here, so don't worry about a thing."

"Wow. I feel a lot safer_._" She said glumly.

He snorted. "You're a lot braver now, aren't you? A few days ago, you were shaking like a leaf. When Franklin looked at you, you flinched. When _I_ looked at you, your eyes went to my sword, then tears came out of your eyes. Wondered what happened in the storage room…" He trailed off.

"You talk a lot." Natsumi said plainly.

"So do you." He retorted.

Natsumi stopped walking again, and Nobunaga turned to look at her, giving her a questioning look. She crossed her arms.

"I know you need something from me…" she began. "And it's something important to you. So let's get through all the preliminaries here."

At first, Nobunaga smirked. Then, he let out a chuckle. After, he began laughing like the funniest joke in the world just met his ears. It took him a while to return to his stoic face. Passersby would look at them every now and then, and her cheeks became pink in her embarrassment. Honestly, she didn't know why she was braver now. She didn't know why she was standing beside him here, not trying to run away. She knew she wouldn't ask for help from a stranger, though. It would cost that stranger's life.

"How'd you know, huh?" he finally asked, walking again. He pulled her along, and she followed.

"Because Hisoka looked at you like he couldn't trust you. And so did Machi… and Franklin. Like you were going to do something they wouldn't approve of… or at least be careful about."

He nodded. They eventually reached the park, and a bunch of teenagers her age glanced at her, then began whispering to each other while giggling. She fidgeted. She looked like a hobo. And so did Nobunaga. Two hobos, together, like a couple. A hobo couple. She shuddered.

"So is this the intelligence they were talking about?" he asked, sitting down on a bench.

Natsumi sat two feet away from him. His arm was long, though, and he still touched her shoulder as he stretched out.

"I'm just observant," she replied quietly.

"Hmm…" he was looking far away, as if thinking deeply about something.

Natsumi felt uncomfortable. She liked silence a lot better, sure… but with someone she barely knew? She wasn't the best conversationalist, but she usually relied on the other person contributing more talk. She played with her fingers as she waited for him to say something again.

"So…" he glanced at her. "Tell me more about that chain boy of yours."

She stiffened. "Kurapika…"

"Yeah. You see, he killed my best friend-"

"I don't believe you."

Natsumi retorted so quickly that her voice seemed so sure of what she said. But right after saying it… somehow her heart faltered. Kurapika? Killing someone else's best friend? It was difficult to say out loud… but it was easy to imagine. She suddenly remembered their first encounter. If she hadn't looked so sad and scared at that moment for the lives of those men, bad or otherwise… what would've happened? She stopped the mental images right there.

"Whether or not you believe me, and I know you do, I hate that man," he said, his face straight. "When I see him, I am going to kill him."

Her heart skipped a beat. She slowly turned to him, her face showing uncertainty.

"Why… are you telling me this?"

He smirked and took her by her chin.

"Because…"

He kissed her forehead, and then tapped her nose like a child.

"You are going to help me kill him."

* * *

End of Chapter!!

Ooooooh. Nobunaga's quite the sneaky one, isn't he?

I wonder what's going to happen now!! Because seriously… I don't know. HAHAHA.

School starts in a few weeks for me! Like… in 17 days! I'm so excited. But I hope I'll have enough time to write.

Please review! I truly appreciate your comments. :D


	9. For My Princess

Hello, people! And here we have Chapter 8! I'm so excited for you guys to read this part, because there's a lot of drama!

Sorry, not much comedy, I guess. I tried to put a bit in there. But I really wanted this chapter to be dramatic. I just hope the transition from normal to intense is good, because I don't want sudden drama, like it was misplaced or something. Heehee. Anyway, why am I still talking?

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi :D

**Chapter 8: For My Princess**

* * *

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO."

"YES."

"NO, DARN IT!"

Natsumi banged her fist on the table, making everyone in the restaurant look her way. She frowned at them, instinctively blushing as well. The people whispered to their companions and shook their heads. She could only imagine what they saw… a hippie teenager with a hippie immature boyfriend. She shuddered at the thought. Nobunaga was gross.

"You're making it sound like you have a choice," Nobunaga countered, glancing back at the people, who all looked away as soon as they made eye contact.

Natsumi's heart hadn't stopped pounding violently ever since he had dropped the bomb. Help him kill Kurapika? There was no way she'd do that. Ever. And that was going to be her final answer. She didn't even need to think twice about it! But why did the samurai before her look like he knew he was going to win her obedience?

"I won't. You can't make me…" she trailed off.

Her thoughts consumed her. The plan… Kurapika was no doubt going to be in the same room as Alphonse. The Genei Ryodan would take her father down (though a member or two would satisfy the job) while Kurapika, upon the sight of Natsumi, would surely try to get her back. She'd do whatever it took to get him to chase her… and then the ambush.

Natsumi argued that it was unfair for an honorable samurai (she grimaced at the word, because Nobunaga was anything but honorable) to _ambush_ a foe. But then, with tears threatening to fall, he said that his friend's death wasn't honorable at all. Revenge twisted everyone's integrity, didn't it?

"I'm not going to force you," he said. "Because I'm sure that when the time comes, you'll do it yourself."

He grinned and her eyes widened in fear. She'd do it herself? What did he mean by that?

She gazed at the sky. Noting the position of the sun, it was bound to be around 5:30 PM. She poked at the uneaten peas on her plate, taking in what was happening to her. It shouldn't get any worse… She was missing school, though. That was probably the worst part for her. How was she going to pass those series of tests to get into York Shin University? She gritted her teeth in annoyance. If she failed… she'd probably just kill herself.

"You know, you're pretty cute when you're annoyed. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Nobunaga's question came at her like a dart on a balloon. It was the question that she hated the most. The question that she despised with a passion. Her frown deepened even more as she thought of a sarcastic comeback, but wound up with none. Her brain panicked as it ravaged her thoughts for an answer. It really did come at a bad time. She sighed, defeated.

"No. Shut up."

Nobunaga smirked as he leaned closer to her across the table, resting his chin on his folded arms.

"So you're free, huh?"

"No, I'm not."

"But you don't have a boyfriend."

"Yes, I don't."

"So you're free."

"No, I'm not!"

He grinned again, apparently amused by her reaction.

"Well… Okay. So you don't have a boyfriend. But have you ever had one?"

Another dart on another balloon. That was the follow-up question she hated, too. She wanted to grab her plate and break it with his face. But he'd kill her. She scowled.

"No."

She looked down and toyed with her fingers, wishing that her brain had functioned as it usually did. She wouldn't be in this stupid situation if it did!

"Hmm. Wonder why… Anyone close to a boyfriend, though?"

She snapped her head back up to look at him. No one has ever asked _that_ question before. She tried to read his face… but he was serious. She looked back down again. She didn't want to answer… because the first person in mind was…

"Hisoka."

Nobunaga's statement jolted her and she stood up abruptly, knocking the chair behind her. She twirled to pick it up, only to hit the edge of the table with her knee, and thus making her fall down as well. She could feel the disapproving stares of the people in the restaurant again.

"Hey! What the hell happened to you?" Nobunaga crouched over her when she didn't get up.

"You said Hisoka!" she breathed.

His face contorted to a confused look, like she seemed insane.

"Yeah, he's over there! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Over there…?" she blurted out.

Nobunaga grabbed her arm and set her to her feet. The waitress was there beside her, asking if she was okay. But she didn't mind her. She swore she heard her tell Nobunaga to leave because the customers were getting scared of them. But she didn't mind either. All she could see was the man she did not like at all… The man who kidnapped her and betrayed her and made her feel bad all the time…

But as he was walking towards them, all she could see was the handsome face that she could never ever forget. And for some reason, right now, he looked even more beautiful than before. Perhaps it was because he wasn't wearing his clown get-up or her school's uniform anymore. He was just wearing… jeans, sneakers, and a long-sleeved light blue shirt, just like everyone else. But he wasn't like everyone else.

"Like what you're looking at?"

It took her two seconds to realize that he was already in front of her and that she had been staring at him with her mouth hanging slightly open. She blushed for the umpteenth time and looked for Nobunaga. He wasn't there anymore.

"Where is-"

"It's my turn to babysit now," he smiled.

* * *

_I will wait for your recognition_

_I will wait for your smile_

_I will wait for your love_

_But how long will I last?_

* * *

She tried her best not to look at him, and she was successful this time. But she could feel his eyes scanning her whole frame. He was probably internalizing how messy she looked. She began to walk away from him.

"Where are you going?" he followed beside her.

"To a place you don't exist."

"Ahh. Can I come with you?"

She turned and set her hands on her hips, glaring at him in the process. He fought a smile and tried to look at her with a straight face.

"What are you doing here?" she scowled.

"I said it's my turn to babysit now."

"I don't want you here. Go away. I want Shizuku or Franklin."

"How about Machi and Feitan?"

She fell silent. She was afraid of those two. She turned around again and began walking. She didn't know where she was going since she's never been wherever she was before. She shrugged and continued on walking.

The sun was finally preparing to set. The air was getting colder, too. Her tank top wasn't really made for night strolling. They walked in silence for half an hour, until the sun was completely gone and the streetlights switched on one after the other. She shivered, putting her hands around her neck to make them warmer. It didn't help at all. Now her legs were cold, too. Her pajamas were pretty thin, and the cold air just breezed right through them.

As soon as she set her arms to the side, she felt sudden warmth envelope around her left hand. She glanced at it curiously… and almost fainted.

Hisoka had her hand in his as he walked beside her. She looked up at him and he gazed down at her. She tugged on her hand, but he wouldn't let it go.

"What are you doing?!" she yelled. A few passersby looked their way, but upon seeing Hisoka's tall and muscular frame, they all pretended they didn't see anything. So much for heroic help.

"You're feeling cold," he said matter-of-factly.

She stopped walking and tried to pull away. She knew it wouldn't do any good, since she'd probably have to chop her hand off to get away successfully. No. She'd have to convince him to let her go. Brain powers, unleash!

"I hate you," she said. "Why are you doing all this again, huh? To confuse me? To help with Nobunaga's plan, perhaps? When you don't lie with your words, you lie with your actions."

That seemed to work a bit. His grip loosened, but it wasn't enough for her to pull herself free.

"I would never lie to you," he spoke softly. "My princess."

Her heart skipped a beat as he used the stupid nickname. Why did his voice have to be so… velvety and beautiful?

"You are lying to me right now. Do you think I'm stupid? For crying out loud! I-"

"I think you're the most intelligent girl on the face of the planet, assuming extraterrestrial life is nonexistent. And I know quite a lot of intelligent women. Shizuku, of course, does not make that list."

Natsumi was too taken aback by his words that she had no reply. He grinned and pulled her along as he walked. He was headed for a building, she could tell. But which one? Was it another hideout? Or maybe headquarters?

They stopped in front of a tall high-rise building. She shook in nervous waves, her stomach clenching inside of her. There were a bunch of cars that came every now and then, and young men in uniforms would take the keys from the owners. Valet. It was a bright place, as it should be. It was a hotel.

"I am NOT going in there with you, Hisoka."

He smiled and patted her head like some animal.

"It's music to my ears whenever you refer to me by my name sans formality."

She ignored him. He pulled her again, and she couldn't help but walk along, lest she'd be dragged again, just like what Nobunaga did earlier.

"I'll scream," she threatened.

"No you won't," he sang.

She bit her lip.

Everyone inside all looked at the both of them when they walked in. Well, mostly just at her. She didn't know what she exactly looked like, but she didn't want to find out anyway. She might lose her mind. Instead, she looked at her feet and pretended she was alone… being dragged, but alone nonetheless.

She assumed that he'd go to the front desk to arrange a room, but apparently he had already done so. They went straight to the elevator and he pressed the button for the 20th floor.

There were two ladies inside with them, and they stared at him admiringly and whispered to each other in a language she didn't understand. Then, they looked at her, up and down, and shot her distasteful glances. They were pretty girls… and that made her feel worse. Hisoka felt her discomfort and tightened his grip around her hand. He moved forward, as if to look at his reflection on the shiny elevator door, showing at the same time that they were holding hands.

The ladies gasped in horror, and Natsumi cringed. They didn't even hide the fact that they were disturbed, and probably disgusted, by the mild show of preference. The elevator beeped when they arrived at the 20th floor, and Hisoka led the way out, smiling as the ladies stretched their necks out the door to see if their eyes were fooling them.

Natsumi felt like she was at the bottom of some unknown caste system. But Hisoka held her hand, didn't he? Whether or not he meant it as some show of affection… it made her feel good. If only to show those rich bastards that they weren't all that. Well… she wasn't either. The short moment of triumph was gone again.

The keycard of their room, 2015, appeared magically from his hand, and he opened the door with a smooth maneuver. He switched on a few lights. It was a normal hotel room this time, much unlike the gigantic suite Kurapika had for them. There were two small beds on either side of the room, a wooden desk, a big plasma TV, and a dresser. The bathroom was luxurious, sure, but it wasn't as big as the one she had back in the suite. Somehow, she felt at ease. At least it didn't look like a rich person's pad.

The window was right across the door, revealing a beautiful view of the skyline.

It was only then that Hisoka let her hand go.

"Alright, off you go. Bath time!"

He pushed her inside the bathroom and closed the door before she could protest. Natsumi banged on the door and tried to wrench it open, but Hisoka had somehow managed to lock it from the outside.

"Hey!" she yelled as she kicked the door.

She could hear him chuckle from the other side.

"There's a towel over there. Now please, you look horrendous."

"Wow, I didn't realize that!" she yelled sarcastically.

She gave up. She didn't just want a shower. She needed one badly. She avoided the huge mirror on top of the sink and skipped to the tub, shedding her clothes on her way and setting her bracelet and watch on the counter. She turned the shower on, and shivered because of the icy cold water. Well, she was used to it anyway. The heater back at home didn't always function when they wanted it to.

The water slowly went warmer, though, and she liked it. The cold weather outside didn't calm her nerves. She sighed. Time for some thinking.

* * *

_I want nothing but you_

_You want nothing but me_

_But we can't live like this…_

_We could die_

* * *

What was she doing there? How was her mother? Did her friends realize she's been kidnapped? She was sure that Kurapika would have made up some believable story. She wondered what it was… Suddenly sick? He would have to explain not only her sudden disappearance, but also her prolonged absence.

She's only been away for around 4 days. It seemed like a few weeks in the least. And tomorrow, she would finally meet Alphonse. Her father. Father. It didn't sound right coming from her. Did she really want to meet him? She had answered Hisoka's question… Yes, she wanted to meet him.

Her thoughts flitted back to Kurapika. No doubt he was blaming himself for what happened. She glanced at the communicator-bracelet through the translucent sliding door of the bath. She hadn't spoken to Kurapika since that time in the storage room. How was _he_ doing? Every second away from him made her feel so unsafe. Had she really relied on him for security all this time? She didn't like the way he was hovering over her every minute. But somehow, his absence now made her feel like she was missing something.

If only she was more powerful. If only she had the ability to do things her way. If only she wasn't so weak and so susceptible to such stupid dangers that wouldn't even harm an insect. Why was she so… disgustingly vulnerable? It was so stupid. Wasn't there a limit to people's shortcomings? Hers seemed to be endless!

The image of the two ladies in the elevator appeared in her head again. The way they looked at her… Sure, she was definitely something she'd make fun of if she were someone else… But still. Their eyes were like daggers, piercing her multiple times, as if she didn't deserve to live. As if she didn't deserve to stand beside the god called Hisoka. And maybe she didn't. She had no money, no assets, no special thing that made her stand out. She was just a frail, young high school girl who didn't even have enough social skills to make friends.

Those two ladies… They probably had a bunch of friends, real or not, ready to back them up anytime. They probably had so much money that they could live in this hotel without working for decades. They probably had many boyfriends at once, and those boyfriends didn't mind being one of many. They probably had parents who spoiled them rotten. They probably never shopped in a bargain store, or didn't know those types of stores even existed.

Natsumi turned the shower off and walked out, grabbing the bathrobe beside the tub and putting it on. She didn't have clothes. She wanted to mentally slap herself… but she couldn't even think past the two ladies. How fortunate they were and how unworthy she was.

She opened the door and walked out, the steam rushing out like they were happy to greet cold air. As if on cue, the main door opened and Hisoka walked in, a small towel on his head and a longer one, though still short for him, wrapped around his waist.

Her face was still sullen from her thoughts, though she recognized the fact that he was only wearing a towel.

"Where the hell did you take a bath…?" Her statement was supposed to sound fierce, but with her current mood, all she could muster was a flat statement.

"The neighbor's. The girl seemed to invite me in with open arms. Even wanted me to stay. I couldn't, though, since you're over here."

He grinned, but it immediately faded when he saw her slumped torso. She looked like a depressed fool… She probably looked so pathetic. The water from her wet hair dripped to the floor. She didn't bother to dry it off. And her face… that must have set so many things off because Hisoka had an anxious look on his face.

Tears came, of course, and threatened to fall. In an instant, he had his hands on her shoulders. He could only guess what she was thinking… And maybe he was right.

"What's wrong?" Hisoka's panicked voice surged through her thoughts. "Do not mind those women. They are ugly."

"Yeah, and I'm Miss Universe."

"Is this about the way you look?" he asked, confused.

"This is about everything! Damn it! What am I doing here?!"

She yelled and shrugged out of his grip, falling to the ground with her hands on her face. Hisoka remained standing, frozen in place. He gazed helplessly at the weeping girl.

"You're here because I brought you here…" he said, not knowing what to say. It was meant to be a joke, of course… but it didn't come out right.

"I was doing fine…" she whispered. "Why did I have to get caught in this stupid situation? Why did I have to endanger my mother? I was a good person! I never did anything to deserve this. And you… what are you doing here with me?"

"Princess…" he blurted out, helpless. "I-"

"Don't call me that!" she yelled, glaring at him, tears still coming. "I am not your princess! I do not have the qualities to be a princess! I hate you because you annoy me! You've brought this upon me! All the confusion, all these dumb feelings… Who are you to me anyway? You have no right to invade my life like this!"

She was ranting, she knew it. Her words didn't even make sense. What was she saying? Blaming Hisoka for something he didn't even do. Cursing him for the stupidity that was her own doing. The situation that would've happened whether or not he was there. Maybe this was her mentality breaking down. She's broken down physically lots of times. Maybe it was her brain's turn to shut off.

"You are my princess, whether or not you think so. Princess, princess. My prin-"

_**SLAP!**_

Again. They were in the same position as before; his head was turned to the side with her hand suspended in the air. But she wasn't going to faint this time.

"My heart always hurts when you're around…" she whispered. "That means there is a problem with you being close to me."

"Stop that."

Natsumi's tensed shoulders loosened when he spoke. What?

"Stop that…" he repeated.

He slowly turned his head to look at her. She gasped silently at the way he looked. His serious face was tainted with cheerless eyes. He seemed like he was fighting an internal battle… a battle of controlling an irresistible urge. A battle that he ultimately lost.

He grabbed her suspended arm and pulled her to him in a crushing embrace. He brought her to him like she was his… tightly, possessively. Saying, through his arms: MINE.

"Let-"

"Don't…" Hisoka whispered. He was shaking. His arms were twitching. His shoulders were slowly slumping forward.

She looked up, her face full of silent surprise and confusion. It seemed like her soul died away.

"Don't be so appealing right now… I won't be able to stop myself."

Her tears didn't go away, and she cried even more, shaking.

"Stop that!" Hisoka yelled. She jumped in his arms. He never shouted… This was the first time she's ever heard his voice that loud.

His grip tightened even more. Her head leaned against his chest. It was hard… muscular, like she had guessed it would be. He held her closer… It reminded her of that time in the limousine. And the time they first met. The image of him touching the wound above her eye appeared and disappeared again from her head. But this was different. The way he held her… it was as if he had let something go in order to hold her this way.

"Please don't be the way you are too much…" he repeated. "I can't control myself all the time. It is too dangerous for you… Being alone with you, I might do something I will regret."

He began rambling… much unlike who he was.

"Stop being tempting… because I can't have you sabotage everything… if I can't keep myself at bay…"

There was silence for a moment.

"Why… Why are you doing this?" Natsumi asked in a soft voice.

"Why do you still doubt?" he asked back with a pained voice.

"You cannot be this way. I am not allowed… to receive such emotion from anyone."

"Not allowed?" he almost laughed, still keeping her in his tight grip. "You are restricting yourself. You are not allowing yourself…"

"Why are you doing this, Hisoka?!" she asked again, not knowing what to say.

"I am not doing anything. This is simply who I am…"

"No. You're not… No one can… feel this way about me. I am no one. I am weak. I am nothing. If I died, no one would even notice…"

Hisoka rested his chin on her head. She could feel him smile.

"If you died… it would not be because of me."

"What…?"

"What I saw in you... It made me unable to kill you. That day we first met… the card that was supposed to kill you, killed that man who took you hostage instead. My arm… I could not control it. Although I aimed for your head… it swerved instead to that man, uncontrollably so. You are something I cannot harm."

She gasped, and he let her go. She fell to the ground, with Hisoka towering over her with a helpless expression.

"This was… what Illumi-kun was trying to say. You tried to kill me… but failed."

"Yes."

"…Why?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hands on his face as if exasperated.

"You were going to die, whether through me or that man. But you kept talking didn't you? You didn't want to lose. You didn't want to give up. You may blame your body for disobeying you… but it was what you really wanted. It made me fear you - a weak human who was that strong… who was that brave… Someone who had the passion to be undefeated."

He looked at her then.

"Just like me," he continued. "I hate being defeated. You are just as powerful as I am."

Natsumi's knees felt weak under her, and she succumbed to the weak feeling and fell. Hisoka caught her just in time, but he remained on the floor with her, embracing her just like she did before.

"You may not want me here," he said. "But I will still be here when you look. Because I love-"

"Don't say that!" she yelled, once again backing away from him.

She held her ears and cringed on the floor, shutting her eyes as well.

"You can't say that! I won't believe it! You're a liar! No matter what story you throw at me, I won't believe you!"

Hisoka was furious. He had forgotten all the gentle acts and yanked her hands off her ears. She opened her eyes and stopped breathing. His face was terrifying. Anger consumed him as he stared at her like she had killed something dear to him. He breathed heavily, as if he was about to deliver a heavy blow. And honestly, she did wait for a punch or two. But it didn't come.

Instead, the wall behind her was crushed under his fist. There was a large hole where he had punched it. But she kept talking… just like he had said.

"You aren't a person who can love! And I am not a person who can be loved! No one can ever love me because I am not worthy of such intense emotion! Don't you understand? I'm beyond repair! And you can never love a person because you do not have the ability to care about someone! I am just a passing fancy of yours! You cannot care about me because you don't know how!"

He punched another portion of the wall and she jumped. He was definitely infuriated. But he slowly lowered his arms and seemed to find his composure. He held her again, gently this time. But he was still shaking. The thought of that irresistible urge went through her mind.

"Care? I do not know how to care?" he whispered. "You are wearing nothing but that robe, and I am wearing nothing but this piece of cloth. If I did not truly care about you, and with my strength, don't you think I would have already done much more than to just hold you like this?"

He held her tighter as emphasis to his statement. Now, she really did not know what to say. He was warm… just like before. How could someone so cold be so warm to the touch? Her chest was painful… Every time she saw him, it hurt. She had assumed it was a bad thing, because she never felt that kind of pain in the past. But could it be that the pain was a good thing? A sign that she was, indeed, someone who could be loved? But this is Hisoka…

"Hisoka…"

He tensed up as she said his name.

_But this is Hisoka_, she repeated. Her arms slowly crept up, wrapping themselves around him. He relaxed in her arms, and she loosened up as well. She closed her eyes. This was _Hisoka_ in _her_ arms.

"The reason I brought you to the Genei Ryodan…" he spoke. "Did I not ask you whether you wanted to see your father?"

She nodded but didn't say anything.

"You said yes… and so I brought you with us. If you had stayed with the blonde boy, you would have never seen your father. That was his plan…"

Natsumi's eyes widened in understanding.

"If you had said that you did not want to see Alphonse, I would have let you stay with Kurapika."

Hearing Hisoka speak Kurapika's name was unusual, but it meant he was sincere.

"All this time…" Natsumi said softly. "Everything."

"For my princess. For you."

A few more tears escaped.

"You never said anything."

"The sincerest act of love is never made known unless the very feeling is questioned."

"What?"

He chuckled at her cluelessness.

"If I had told you everything I had done for you… Wouldn't it be like I was simply trying to win you over? I did all of those things without telling you to prove to myself and to you that my feelings were sincere. Your happiness _should_ be my only joy. But since you questioned me, I had to let you know. You ruined it, too."

Natsumi smiled.

"Never keep anything from me again…"

"Shall I keep my description of how disturbing and dirty you looked before your bath?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. He grinned.

"Well, your hair was really oily and your face was-"

"Shut up!"

* * *

End of Chapter.

Waaaaaaah! So how was that?

I dunno. I tried to make it as dramatic as possible. I wonder if you saw what I saw. The feelings, the images, and everything. I really hoped you did. Otherwise, it would just be a chapter of outbursts and mild confessions. :D

Please review and tell me what you think of it! I'm really curious. I've never written something like this chapter before so yeah… :D


	10. Torn

Hello, people! Another update once again. First of all, I would like to thank ALL the reviewers!! I can't believe that so many people have reviewed lately! And I can't imagine that my fanfic could scoop up a bunch of different people. I can't explain it, but I really appreciate it. Your feedback really makes me happy. THANK YOU! You've no idea how much it means to me. :D

Anywayyyy, so I've been busy. Very busy. From packing my stuff (I'll be leaving for the dorms in 2 days) to cleaning two bedrooms and a bathroom, as well as the kitchen, since my aunt and her family is moving out. Since everyone else has gone to college, I'm the only "kid" left to help out. :D So yeah.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I do own Natsumi, and things about her.

--

**Chapter 9: Torn**

--

_Take me away,_

_To a place where you are everywhere_

_So I may never lose_

_My love for you_

_--_

She must be dreaming. She was sure of it. Here she was, on one bed, still wearing nothing but a bathrobe. The most impossible part of the dream was that Hisoka was right beside her, his strong arm wrapped around her torso, like it was normal. Her back was turned to him, but she knew that he, too, still wore just that towel. She shuddered at the thought, and he instinctively tightened his grip around her. She grimaced.

"Hisoka…?" she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"There are two beds in the room."

"Yes, indeed there are. I know you're smart and all, but even the dumb can count beds."

"I wasn't trying to enforce my…intelligence."

"What were you trying to do, then?"

She turned around and glared at his happy face, then attempted to kick him off.

"Will you just get your butt over to the other one!"

He chuckled merrily and plopped on the other bed, bouncing like a kid. And he just sat there, his grin never fading away as he watched her. She still glared at him with fierce eyes, suspicious of every single movement he made.

"That was one of the best nights I've ever had," he sighed like a daydreaming girl.

Natsumi grabbed the pillow under her head and threw it at him, but he caught it instead and pressed it against his ear, like it was a precious doll.

"Don't make it sound like we did anything!!" she yelled, blushing madly. "Nothing happened! I merely fell asleep, and when I woke up, you were right there!"

"Sure, sure, I will no longer say that," he smiled. "But then, I'm sure I am allowed to say that we slept together."

He sighed dreamily again, and Natsumi was on her feet, grabbing another pillow and hitting his head with it multiple times. He let her hit him, though she was sure it didn't hurt him anyway.

"WE," she pointed to the both of them for emphasis, "Did NOT _sleep_ together!"

Hisoka grabbed the pillow from her, pulling her along and making her fall on top of him. He cradled her in his arms, and she couldn't do a thing.

"Of course we did! You slept beside me, and I slept beside you. Two people who sleep beside each other sleep _together._ You should know that. It's like one and one _together_ makes two."

"Context, darn it! CONTEXT!"

She sighed, defeated; or maybe because having Hisoka's arms around her again calmed her down. She rested her cheek against his chest and listened. She could hear his steady heartbeat faintly. She smiled. He was still human, just like her. He wasn't _that_ far away.

She would have never imagined how utterly… beautiful… he was without anything but that white towel on. She blushed at her thoughts. But it's not like she could help it! He was probably flaunting it. Such smooth, white skin. His arms… they looked even more perfect when they were connected to his bare chest. And the 6-pack abs? He was like a runway model! No. Even better than that. He was an angel! And the way his hair fell down on his shoulders after a shower… A shower. He was probably fully naked when he took a shower. She bit her lip. _Of course _he was fully naked. Duh. She mentally slapped herself for even having such thoughts. Hisoka in the shower. She was losing it.

She shook her head roughly again, making Hisoka jump from her sudden action. He smirked.

"Thinking about something unpleasant?"

She frowned and jumped off his lap.

"Highly unpleasant."

He chuckled.

"I am glad you no longer stammer when you are with me."

She felt queasy. It was always so awkward when he was around. And yet it was so relaxing, too. Why did he always have to ruin it when he talked? Well, he wasn't a doll. So that couldn't be helped.

"I need clothes…" she said, glancing at him.

He bowed his head.

"Your wish is my command."

He walked over to the sliding door of the closet and threw it open, like a magician would to a surprise. And Natsumi was the bewildered audience.

"What the…"

Inside the closet, the tiny, tiny space, was a rack crammed with clothes. Girl's clothes. There were dresses, shirts, pants, tank tops, tube tops, and even sweats. On the floor, there were around 20 pairs of shoes, flip flops, heels, sneakers, rubber shoes, and even clogs! Sure these weren't meant for her…

"Do you like them? They're all yours!" he cheered, clapping his hands happily.

Her eye twitched as she gazed at the unbelievable number of clothes. How could so many of them even fit in there? She tried to count the hangers, but they were too close to each other to count accurately. Estimating, maybe there were 250 or more.

"They're… what? No! Are you crazy? I said I needed clothes! Not an entire wardrobe!"

Had he gotten these for her? It would've taken a lot of time, at least. Or maybe he just had someone get them for her. But how would he even know her size? Okay, maybe that was easy to guess… or maybe her profile included her sizes. But still… There must be something hidden behind this, right? No man in his right mind would just spend so much on buying someone an entire closet of clothes. And besides, she never even dressed up that much. Jeans and a shirt! That's all she's ever worn!

She frowned and turned to face him.

"Hisoka, I don't-"

But she paused. Hisoka's expression was a sober one, almost anxious. He cast his eyes downwards, like he was saddened by some story that didn't have a happy ending. He stood still, almost like a statue. But his face… it was oh-so human right now.

His pained look triggered the piercing pain she felt in her chest, which she expertly ignored. She softened her glare a bit, looking away guiltily.

"What is it now…?" she asked, like a defeated bully.

It would almost seem funny. The two of them stood there, their bodies facing each other, but their faces turned away.

"You don't like it." He said flatly.

If she weren't completely taken aback by his sudden change of mood, she would've laughed at him. Pouting because she didn't like it? It was funny; she had to admit.

She rolled her eyes instead and looked at the closet one more time. She scanned through the clothes and grabbed a plain pink shirt and faded jeans, then took a pair of white sneakers, and then underwear, top and bottom. Hisoka watched her.

"You're such a weirdo…" she muttered and then went to the bathroom to change.

It took her a few minutes to get ready. Good thing there was a complimentary toothbrush that went with toothpaste and other necessary toiletries. She stepped out, feeling pathetic that his mere expression could make her do things.

"Are you happy now?" she asked, twirling around like she was wearing a fancy dress, although she was just casually dressed.

He grinned.

"I like you better with just the bathrobe on."

She took her shoe off and sent it flying to his face. Like before, he simply let it hit him, and he chuckled in amusement.

"You can't act like this tonight, my princess."

She would've shuddered at his name for her, but she couldn't ignore what he said. Tonight. Everything was going to end tonight.

"It's tonight, huh?" she said, though she really didn't need to ask.

He crossed his arms and leaned on the wall behind him. He glanced at her.

"Today is your birthday," he smiled. "But no birthday presents 'til your time of birth!"

She rolled her eyes.

"You don't mean you have more presents than these clothes, do you?"

"Oh, these clothes aren't part of your birthday present. It seems you really don't like gifts, do you?"

"I have nothing to reciprocate with."

"They're presents. They're giving, not taking."

She fell silent. She didn't deserve any presents at all, especially from him! But setting that aside… today WAS her birthday. She had forgotten. 18 years old, huh? That was quite a feat from someone who was prone to accidents. And she was meeting Alphonse today. What was she going to do? Walk up to him and say, "Hello, father." That wasn't going to do any good. In any case, he's been trying to kill her all this time. Maybe Kurapika's idea of keeping her away was a good one after all. Kurapika…

"I will be with you the whole time."

Hisoka took her in his arms again. She didn't realize that she was spacing out again. Why did he say that? Did she look worried?

"No need to be afraid of Alphonse. He is useless against me."

Oh. So she looked like she was afraid. After a few seconds of reassurance, she pushed him away.

"Okay, enough of the drama, please!" she slapped her own face. "I need to think."

She sat down on the bed and closed her eyes, setting her elbows on her knees and her hands on her face. She had forgotten, too: the thing about Kurapika, the stupid plan that was meant to kill him. What was she going to do? He was obviously going to be there! Alone? Maybe. With Gon and Killua? Likely. But he always liked doing things on his own. How annoying he was! Why couldn't he just ask for help once in a while?

She heard the hangers squeak on the railing of the closet, but she didn't bother open her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Hmm… Looking for something you could wear tonight."

"I look fine."

"You look like a poor student."

"That's because I am, in case you've forgotten!"

"You need a gown and heels."

"I can't walk in heels!"

"I'm getting you something pretty anyway."

"You're so gay…"

"And you are my boyish lover."

She felt him push her over on the bed, and she snapped her eyes open. Sure enough, he was there on top of her. She gritted her teeth. He grinned widely.

"My lover… it's so scandalous when I say it! It makes my heart flutter."

"Please get off."

He smiled.

"You know, in all the manga I read, the girls should always look flustered and shocked and scared when their boyfriends do this to them. And yet here you are, blushing, but still glaring. Sigh… If I were another guy, you'd probably be as frozen as you were during that Illumi incident. I wonder why that is."

"Easy. You're not my boyfriend."

His smile was gone. Instead, his face went blank and… nothing, really. Just blank. He hopped off and went looking for her dress once again. She sat back up. Was it just her, or did his hands, as they pushed the clothes to one side, become rougher in movement? Was he upset?

'_Like I said,'_ she thought to herself, _'Enough of the drama…'_

--

_Your smile is enough_

_To make me strong_

_If you were miles away,_

_A single stride will be enough_

_--_

It was awkward walking beside him now. After all, she's never been alone with him for so long before. They were in the streets now, walking to the "meeting place" with the other Genei Ryodan. It wasn't going to be in that old warehouse. It was going to be someplace closer to Alphonse's house.

She hadn't thought of anything to save Kurapika. Why did Hisoka have to break her thoughts? She glanced at him. He carried the box that contained her dress. She didn't even like dresses! She blushed.

"You don't have to carry it, you know. I told you I could carry it myself."

"No."

There he was with his short answers again! Was he really _that_ upset about what she said? So what if he wasn't her boyfriend? It was such a stupid term anyway! And it's not like she said that she liked him. She just returned a hug, and that was it! Her heartbeat raced as her mind wandered.

"Listen, about-"

"We're here."

He cut her off! She rolled her eyes. How immature he was! She calmed down and sighed, then looked at wherever they were. It looked like a small bar, like the ones she'd seen on TV. She reached for the door, since Hisoka had his hands full, but he pushed her hand away and opened it himself. She rolled her eyes again. He was such a child.

Inside, everyone was there.

There was a long counter with high stools that ran along it. A bunch of drunk strangers sat there and glanced at her and Hisoka when they came in. To the left were a bunch of pool tables. Nobunaga, Shizuku, Shalnark, and Franklin played on one of them. Feitan and Machi watched silently while they drank soda on one of the dining tables.

"Hey, Hisoka!" Shalnark greeted. "Looking clean, Natsumi!"

She didn't know how to react. They were her abductors, not her friends! So why did she feel happy to see them? Excited, even. Their very presence even symbolized the danger that was about to come. And here they were, playing pool.

Hisoka left her standing there and went to where Feitan and Machi were. He roughly dropped the box beside him, making a loud thud.

"What's up with you?" Nobunaga asked after his turn was done.

Hisoka didn't reply. Natsumi felt compelled to take the fourth and last seat in their table, but she thought twice. Instead, she went over to the pool table where they were playing and leaned on the ledge.

"Who's… winning?"

Without looking at her, Shalnark replied while taking a nice shot.

"Me and Nobunaga. Franklin's pretty good, though. If only he didn't have such an awful partner."

"Hey!" Shizuku complained. "I'm a fair player!"

"Yeah," Shalnark replied, smirking. "Ask your partner. I'm sure he agrees with you."

Shizuku then pouted at Franklin, as if pleading him to say something nice. The giant rubbed the back of his neck, thinking.

"Yeah, well… of course you're a fair player, Shizuku."

She beamed, happy.

Shalnark scoffed. "Yeah. And when there's fair, there's satisfactory, good, very good, and excellent. Still far off!"

It went on like that for a while, and Natsumi couldn't help but laugh along with them. It was impossible to believe that they were cold-blooded killers. She thought about Hisoka. He was a cold-blooded killer, too. And he liked her. Just because he couldn't kill her, didn't mean he was such a safe person to be hanging around with. She stole a glance at him. And she mentally growled.

There he was, practically less than an inch away from Machi's face! What was he doing? Getting ready to "accidentally" kiss her cheek? Her lips, maybe? He was smiling that malicious smile, too. Machi merely ignored him, answering his questions every now and then. But her face was focused straight on. She didn't even look at him. Feitan didn't even feel awkward. He probably wasn't even paying attention. Hisoka then glanced at Natsumi, then away, grinning.

"What's in the box?" Nobunaga interrupted her thoughts. He flitted beside her, close enough for their hands to touch. She felt uncomfortable. She still hadn't forgotten that kiss on her forehead.

"My dress…" she murmured.

"Oh, right," Nobunaga said, tapping his chin. "You'd have to look like one of the people there. Well, you don't really need to do anything, since you look pretty anyway."

Her cheeks burned.

"Thanks for the flattery, but I know how I look like. 10 layers of make-up would do the job."

He smirked.

"You really have a way with words. Do you want your birthday gift now?"

She just _had_ to look at him. Was he serious? He had the usual smug look on his face, so he must be. But a gift? From him? For her birthday? Since when was he so nice?

"If you're thinking of BRIBING me into Kurapika's downfall, then you are heavily mistaken that I will accept it."

She walked away, but he had pulled her back to him.

Hisoka's gaze was now at the two of them, but she didn't notice. All she could think of now was that the samurai before her was trying to be smart with her.

"I'm not bribing you!" he laughed, "I told you that you'll do it of your own free will, didn't I? So I'm not worried about that. I'm just giving you a birthday gift, like a good friend."

"You and I are _not_ friends, let alone good ones."

"Of course, we are!"

He pulled her closer to him and tapped something on her head. Then he took a step back and admired whatever it was that he put on there.

"Happy birthday!"

Shizuku went beside him and smiled at Natsumi's hair.

"Wow, that's so adorable! I want one, too! Nobunaga, give me one!"

Nobunaga shook his head stubbornly.

"No way, Shizuku! I got that only for her!"

"But we've known each other for such a long time! You've never given me anything for my birthday!"

"Yeah, but Natsumi's cool. You should know."

They argued like that for a while. Franklin put his hand on Natsumi's shoulder. It was a heavy hand, too.

"It looks nice on you. So be nice to Nobunaga, too, eh?"

Natsumi slowly touched whatever it was on her hair. It was something hard and cold, something like a metallic clip, probably. She cast her eyes down.

"But he isn't nice to me. He's forcing me to do something I don't want to do."

"He wants revenge for his best friend. You can't blame him."

"I will never ever do anything that will hurt Kurapika."

Franklin's weighty hand left her shoulder. He patted her head.

"You know," he spoke like a teacher. "Nobunaga never gives presents to anyone except Ubogin. He's always proud of the gifts he gives, you know? And here you are, a person he barely knows. Curious, isn't it?"

He walked away then, leaving her with such a heavy feeling. She looked around and found a bathroom. She was about to enter, only to have Hisoka block her path. She didn't even look at him, and just gazed at the door to the toilet. He stood there silently, waiting for her to look at him. But she didn't.

"Hello…" he murmured.

"What? Talking to me now, are we?" she asked smugly.

"I didn't forget, okay? I just wanted to give my present to you at a later time. And it's better than Nobunaga's gift."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Anyway, here," he handed the box to her. "Dress up. We're leaving in a bit."

She grabbed the box and tried to push her way through, but he wouldn't let her.

"What do you want now?" she asked, annoyed.

"You are my princess."

She rolled her eyes.

"Go flirt with your Machi and see if your princess cares."

She slammed the door behind her. Tears began to appear now, flowing down and dripping to the floor. She was crying again. Was there ever an end to her weeping? There was just too much happening now. She only turned 18! She didn't have the capacity to deal with such heavy things! Everything…

The meeting with Alphonse, her father who wanted her dead. Nobunaga's plan, and Kurapika's life. Hisoka's stupid behavior and annoying words. Her conflicted feelings of being around killers, like it was something normal.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She's never been this pale before. She was like the walking dead. She looked at her hair, and she inaudibly gasped. Her hair was parted to the side and kept in place by a small black clasp that was shaped like a spider. In the middle was a pink, round, shiny gem that sparkled so beautifully. It _was_ pretty.

More tears fell. She had to do it. This was the best option for her, for Kurapika, and for everybody. She pressed the bracelet's ruby button, and it beeped silently.

"Kurapika," she called.

In 5 seconds, there was a response.

"Natsumi!" he yelled. "Are you okay? Where are you? I'm coming to save you tonight, I promise! You will be safe."

She frowned.

"Don't come after me anymore, okay? I'm happy over here."

"What?! Natsumi! What are you talking about? Listen to me! Don't believe their words! It's a trick! Hey!"

She slid the bracelet off, tears still streaming. With a blank look, she threw it to the ground.

"I don't want to return to my old life. I hate it! It's better over here. It's better for everyone… Just leave me."

"Natsumi! Don't listen to them! Don't believe anything they tell you! They're lying! It isn't better. They are-"

With one swift motion, she stepped on it, and it broke. Sure, it was a real ruby, but with all the little contraptions inside, it was hollow. It sent out a few sparks, and then died. She picked it up and wrapped it in paper towels, then threw it in the trash. Putting on the dress and shoes that Hisoka had given her, she trudged outside. Her tears were gone.

"Let's go…"

Her sad, defeated voice was soft. But everyone heard.

--

So how was that? A little intro to the obvious, so it's short but sweet.

Anyway, I would like to apologize in advance if I do not update in the same pace. Like I said above, I will be moving to the dorms… college is in effect! I am a freshman, so I will be very busy as you would imagine. My school is very big, and I have a lot of classes. I need to do this and that and learn how to go around and stuff. So yeah, I'm sure that I sound like I'm just making excuses but… yeah.

Thank you to everyone once again! You make this writer happy!

Please review! :D


	11. It Happens

Hello, my readers!!! I know all of you want to beat me to death with a stick now… but here's a chapter for you! Read it first before you decide to grab your brother's baseball bat!!! College is tough… Not a moment of rest! Hopefully, the next chapter won't take as long. :D

--

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 10: It Happens**

--

"Kurapika, this is suicide!"

"If it is, then it is an honorable death!"

Kurapika marched his way out the hotel lobby. Many bystanders watched on as the two boys tried to stop their companion.

"At least let us go with you, okay?"

Killua was the voice of reason, and Gon agreed with him. The black sports car zoomed before them, and the valet boy handed him the keys. Kurapika strapped himself in. The sun was about to set. It should be a little over 7 o'clock.

Killua and Gon tried to open the passenger door, but Kurapika had already locked it by then. They banged on the window to let him in.

"Natsumi obviously didn't want you to go for an important reason!" Gon tried again.

Kurapika glared at them.

"She thinks she's being selfless when what she's doing is absolutely selfish!"

"That's just the way she is! But she knows what she's doing. You know she's smart!" Killua yelled.

Kurapika sighed and gripped the wheel.

"Please tell Hasegawa-san that Natsumi will be back home tonight…"

With that, he sped off into the darkening night sky.

The two boys looked at each other.

"He'll be okay, right?" Gon asked his best friend.

"I hope so."

"You think_ she'll_ be alright?"

"I cannot guarantee. But we can't do anything about it now."

"Yeah… Good luck, Hasegawa-san."

--

They rode a luxurious 4-door black pick-up truck. Natsumi was at the back seat, in between Hisoka and Shizuku. Machi drove in an abnormally fast and consistent speed with Nobunaga beside her in the passenger seat. Franklin, Feitan, and Shalnark were behind, enjoying the breeze that the incredible speed brought them.

"You look so pretty tonight, Natsumi!" Nobunaga commented, twisting his neck to glance at her.

She smiled shyly. She looked totally different tonight. She wore the pink halter dress that Hisoka had picked out for her. It reached down mid-calf and hugged her torso, then flowed like a soft ballet tutu. She wore heels, too - low ones, since Hisoka considered her comment that she couldn't walk in them. They were strappy and black, and they made her seem taller than she really was. Shizuku took the liberty of fixing her up with some make up as well. She wasn't as pale anymore, and her cheeks and lips were bursting with life.

"Of course, she had help from me!" Shizuku cheered herself.

"Natsumi would look just as pretty without make-up, you know." Nobunaga challenged.

Natsumi sighed. She had too many things in mind. A petty fight wouldn't help her one bit. She patted Shizuku's folded arms and smiled thankfully.

"You did a great job, Shizuku! I thought I needed 10 layers as I told him. But you managed to do me justice with just a single layer! I must say I'm impressed."

That did it. Shizuku reflected in happiness the rest of the way. Nobunaga chuckled at the manipulation.

Hisoka's arm suddenly went up above her head, and Natsumi watched it with her eyes, until his hand rested on her opposite shoulder. Oh, he had his arm around her. Her cheeks burned again and she fidgeted in place. Then, gently, Hisoka pulled her closer to him, so that her head snugly rested on his chest. He was warm, as usual. She blushed even harder.

It didn't help that Hisoka looked like he was modeling a formal fashion line. He was wearing a tuxedo, with the exception of the bowtie! His hair fell on his shoulders, soft and silky. He didn't need make up like male models did. He was beautiful in his own right.

He rested his chin on her head.

"I knew something was up with the two of you!"

Shalnark knocked on the window behind them, but neither of them turned to look at him. Natsumi tensed up. They were being watched.

"You too?" Franklin asked Shalnark. "I thought I was the only one suspicious."

"Yeah, totally," he replied. "There was this vibe, you know? Wonder why Hisoka was trying to even hide it."

"Beats me. We clearly wouldn't mind."

"Yeah. I mean, that would've explained a lot of things."

Natsumi stiffened even more, making Hisoka's grip around her tighten as if protecting her. He turned his head to the noisy men behind and glared. They chuckled, but said nothing more. He glanced down at the fragile girl in his arms.

"Why did you hide it…?" Natsumi murmured softly.

"To keep you safe. You broke my self-control though, as I've told you."

She wanted to smile, but there was something wrong. The moment she stepped into the car, there was a nagging feeling that tugged at her head. She was sure of it. But what was it? His voice wasn't at all that playful anymore. It even seemed like he was trying to force the playfulness out to fool everyone. But he couldn't fool her. She looked up at him and tried to read the unreadable face – the face that had sucked her in. But it was blank. His eyes gave away a hint of… anxiety? Worry? Or was that… defeat?

They stared at each other for eternity.

"Geez! Will you both stop it? We're already here!" Shalnark knocked at the window, this time beside the door. Everyone was off, and there was a valet boy already in the driver's seat. She and Hisoka were left inside, staring away. Blushing, Natsumi scooted closer to the door to get out. A busboy wearing an all-black suit reached out for her hand, but Hisoka bumped him away and took it instead, glaring at him in the process.

The car drove off, but the two still stared at each other.

"There's something you aren't telling me," she said softly.

Hisoka took her chin and smiled that infamous smile.

"Of course, your birthday gift. Excited, are we?"

She rolled her eyes and trudged away from him. The birthday gift. Of course! She had forgotten all about the stupid big secret.

Hisoka rushed to her side and took her arm, latching it with his to make them an official couple. Natsumi's blushing dominated the make-up, but Hisoka seemed to like it that way. It was only then that Natsumi had looked at the place. Her father's home. And she almost choked in awe.

Before her stood the grandest mansion she'd ever seen in her entire life. Her friends' homes had nothing on this one. How big was it? She looked to the left, and then to the right. Useless. It was too long (and it was probably too dark anyway) to see the other end of the building. She looked up. Was that around 20 floors high? And the entrance! Any luxurious hotel would be ashamed! There were Greek pillars that seemed to make the entire façade seem godly. It looked like a museum in a dominating scale! And the spotlights that highlighted the big place like an artifact seem to protrude from the ground like geysers.

Why was she even attempting to describe it in her head? It was indescribable.

Soft music played from the inside, and cheery but tactful laughter could be heard. Every now and then, there was the clanking of glasses in happy toasting.

As beautiful and perfect as everything seemed, it was still the home of a criminal. It was still the venue of the bitter reunion that was about to take place. Somewhere inside, entertaining guests, was the host of the majestic event. The thought made her snap back to the present.

Hisoka's big hand clasped over hers as he walked with her. It was all going to begin.

Only Hisoka and Natsumi were dressed up for the party. The rest of the Ryodan were in their normal attire. That was because they weren't at all hiding. The plan played out in her head.

The announcer would customarily declare Natsumi's presence, like every other guest who entered the ballroom. That would surely attract immediate attention from the entire squad of henchmen. But, in addition, the Genei Ryodan's supporting company would also be announced. Because of that, and taking into consideration the witnesses, the master of the house himself would need to come and greet them. And the rest would play out for itself. Of course, the thing with Kurapika was still in effect. But Nobunaga seemed confident about everything.

"Ready, princess?" Hisoka asked.

"Not really…"

"I can barge in there and drag him out for you. Would you like that?"

"Ha-ha. Not funny, okay?"

He immediately seemed repentant, but the uneasy feeling returned to her once again. Hisoka…

"Come on," Nobunaga urged everyone on, though it was probably only directed at Natsumi.

Hisoka and Natsumi led the group, and various eyes followed them in suspicion. She felt uncomfortable. These were the richest of the rich. If there would be a comparison of being "filthy rich," then everyone in here would have been sprayed by skunks after rolling inside dumpsters. Haha. She made an internal joke. What an annoying mind trick.

The usher was a man who wore a white suit. He had sunglasses on, so Natsumi couldn't really tell if he was looking at her. But his entire body and his face was turned her way.

"Good evening," he greeted, his voice low and husky.

Hisoka nodded, apparently used to such courteous behavior. He handed him the bunch of invitations, and the man seemed taken aback by the number being handed by merely one person. He checked each one to see if they were legit. Legit? But this was a criminal's home! Haha. She made another joke. She was definitely losing it.

She glanced at his hands as he processed the cardboard-thick papers. There were X-shaped scars on his palms. They seemed a few weeks old.

"And might I ask who our esteemed guests are this evening? These are gold blank invitations you have here." he said.

This was it. The implementation of the plan. Natsumi couldn't speak. Her lips quivered. How could she face the man who was trying to kill her when she couldn't even speak to this stranger?

Hisoka grinned at the man.

"Hasegawa Natsumi-sama."

Upon hearing her name, the man immediately jumped back, as if ready to battle it out. He reached for his ear and whispered something. Ahh. So there was a well-hidden communicator with him. Hisoka's grin widened even more.

"She is escorted by the Genei Ryodan."

The man froze in place, and he looked at every single member of the group. His face seemed to whiten; his skin matched his suit. A bunch of men, who also wore white suits, jumped into action beside him, ready to attack. He briefed the situation without ever taking his eyes off Natsumi. She clutched onto Hisoka's arm like a child did to her mother's skirt. Hisoka held her close.

"The knight will protect his princess, no matter what."

She nodded, but involuntarily shivered. Hisoka sighed.

"Have you forgotten that I took down two of them in one second? There are ten of them right now. Simple math dictates that I alone could finish them off in-"

"Five seconds…" Natsumi whispered incoherently.

Hisoka grinned in amusement.

"You make ratio and proportion seem like an art."

The usher had moved forward before Natsumi could give a sarcastic comeback. He raised his hands up in the air, as if he was saying he was unarmed. He slowly approached. He was sweating heavily. He knew what the Ryodan was capable of. But he was apparently loyal to whoever gave him those scars. He extended his hand and reached out for Natsumi's free arm.

"Please come with- OOOOOOWWWW!!!"

Barely two inches of touching her, Hisoka had grabbed his wrist and gripped it tightly – tight enough for it to be on the verge of breaking. And he did this while still casually latched onto Natsumi's side.

The man's eyes were filled with fear and helplessness. What had he gotten himself into? But Natsumi knew that feeling more than anyone else.

"Stop it, Hisoka!"

She pushed herself away from him and grabbed the man away from her escort. Hisoka immediately let him go. The man fell down to the floor, clutching his injured arm as Hisoka looked down at him with threatening and merciless eyes.

"Hey! You're fine now! Hey, look at me!" Natsumi yelled over and over again.

The man cringed in pain. He couldn't let go of his wrist. It hurt too much. Natsumi tried to take a look. After all, she was almost an expert at injuries, having sustained hundreds of them. She roughly took his arm and held him steady.

"Nothing's broken, but your tissues around your joint seemed to have been ripped. If you don't move your wrist, it shouldn't hurt as much."

The man was sweating even more, tears stinging his eyes. Natsumi glared at the nine other henchmen who silently watched on as their comrade went down. She frowned deeply.

"What are you, a bunch of interns?! Your companion's been attacked, and you don't do anything?"

Nobunaga and Shizuku chuckled silently in the background.

Natsumi then turned to Hisoka, who was silently giving a death sentence to the injured man.

"And you!" she yelled. "What the hell were you doing, huh? Did you really have to hurt him?!"

But he wasn't paying any attention to her. He took a step forward, his eyes beginning to form slits in a threatening manner.

"If you ever so much as think of touching her ever again, you will no longer even be capable of thinking."

Natsumi shook her head at him and turned her head back at the man on the ground. She gently patted his arm.

"Please don't listen to him. I know you were just going to escort me. I'll gladly allow you to do so, but you need to get to a hospi-"

In a split second, the usher's hand found its way around her neck. Her eyes widened in a stunned expression.

"You-" the man choked out.

But as soon as he had touched her, he was thrown a few feet away, bleeding and paralyzed. Hisoka was right beside him in a flash, his eyes wide in rage, and he punched and kicked him repeatedly until there was no bone left to be broken. The others still watched on, unfazed.

Hisoka panted heavily, but Natsumi knew it wasn't because of the effort exerted in beating up the man. It was heavy because he didn't know what to make of what happened. He stood in front of her, his face revealing a pained look like he was slowly watching the death of the most important thing in the world. His hands were frozen in front of her, like he was going to cradle her face before a kiss. But he wasn't touching her. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't…

Natsumi's hand crept up to her throat. She could breathe now. But Hisoka was in worse condition than she was. The stunned angel…

She took one of his hands and set it on her cheek, as if telling him that she was fine. She closed her eyes. This time, his hands were cold. Did he truly fear for her life that even his body would react this way? She rubbed the smooth back of his hand against her cheek, back and forth, until it was warm again. He shivered against her touch, but the beating of his heart wouldn't slow.

She was about to be killed by that man. And he was able to touch her despite his presence. How could he have let that happen?

"Hisoka, my knight… Hisoka, my angel…" she whispered.

Hisoka then roughly grabbed her and slammed her into his chest. It was a hurried gesture, almost urgent, as if he needed to ensure for himself that she was still there with him: her cold and frail body against his warm, bulky frame. And she was. She sighed contentedly in his arms. She could feel him gripping her dress in his fist from behind, like he would never let her go. If Hisoka knew how to cry, then he would be doing so right now. But he didn't. And so emotions flooded out silently and invisibly.

She didn't know how long they stood that way, but everyone watched on as the scene unfolded before them. But nothing existed at that moment but the two of them.

"Is he…?" Natsumi whispered in question, pertaining to the collapsed man on the floor.

Hisoka's torso shook as he let a single chuckle.

"I promised myself to never again kill in your presence. He is alive."

Natsumi smiled softly.

"Thank you…"

--

_Closer than mere lovers,_

_I hide in your arms_

_I am safe and happy here_

_You are my refuge_

--

The announcer held a scroll where a replacement usher had written down her name. He stretched it and cleared his throat, making the people already in the ballroom glance at him.

It was like the movies. A ball that only rich people attended. Or maybe it was more like a fairy tale? She was like Cinderella. But this fairy tale was headed for the worst. Her Prince Charming could kill anyone but her. It was a warped story. And she was in the middle of it all.

"Entering! Hasegawa Natsumi-sama, escorted by… the Genei Ryodan!"

If only a few people paid attention before, now everyone stopped to look at her. Everyone fell quiet. They even stopped dancing, and the music halted. Natsumi gulped. She hated attention. And now… she even had to walk down the stupid winding staircase! Why did mansions have to be equipped with winding staircases anyway? Normal stairs would be just fine, and would even make the travel time from Point A to Point B a lot faster. She sighed. Rich people liked to be watched, she guessed.

Hisoka began descending, his arm hooked to hers. She followed. If Hisoka was by her side, then everything would be fine. Heels or not, she'd be able to do this if he was right there. And the long descent felt like an eternity. Everyone's eyes were still locked on them. Everyone in the Genei Ryodan seemed unfazed though. They trudged down in a bored fashion. But she could tell that they liked being feared.

The people began whispering to each other. No doubt they thought she was powerful. She heard someone ask another person if Hasegawa was a popular name. Apparently not. Well, who could blame them? No one knew who Natsumi was. If she died, these people wouldn't even hear about it. She'd wither away like an ant. No. Dead ants still have attention. Maybe she'd be a decomposing worm _under_ all the dirt. No one would see, hear, or think about it.

"Natsumi-chan!!!"

Hold up. Pause. Did someone just call her name? No way. Nobody knew her! She turned to the voice. A familiar-looking pretty girl ran towards her. She pulled an older-looking boy along with her. In an instant, Nobunaga and Machi were beside Natsumi, truly acting like bodyguards. But the girl didn't stop. She didn't even feel threatened by the two killers.

It was then that Natsumi realized who the girl was. She looked different without her school uniform on, but that was definitely Miyuki from her class. She was one of the girls who went to the slumber party. It was such a distant memory now, even though it had only been 5 days ago.

"Miyuki-chan…" she acknowledged, not really knowing what to do or say.

Miyuki reached in her companion's suit and pulled out her camera. Natsumi bit her lip. Not again. But before she could protest, Miyuki snapped away in multiple angles, catching Hisoka in every single picture. She giggled, then put it away in the boy's suit again.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "You haven't been in school, and you disappeared in the slumber party. Kurapika-san said that you got sick. But now I see you're well. That's good! Oh, where are my manners? This is my boyfriend, Chika-kun. He's in college now. He used to go to our school, though."

She kept talking like that, and Natsumi was glad that she didn't have to answer her questions. The guests in the room had already went about their own business, though every now and then, they would glance back at her and the large group of "bodyguards."

Well, it would make sense that Miyuki was here. She was rich, after all. In fact, if she saw a bunch of people from school, then that would be normal. And as if fate had heard her, many more people went up to greet her.

"Hasegawa-san!"

"Natsumi-chan!"

"Natsumi!"

"Hey, girl from the other class!"

"Class Rep Natsumi!"

It went on like that for a bit. She didn't have to say much. There were around seven people surrounding her, each talking to her and to each other. She felt her heart race. Seeing people from her school like this made her feel like she was being sucked back to the life before all this. She didn't like it at all. But this was reality after all. Once everything was done, she'd have to go back…

"Ahh, Natsumi."

It was a different voice this time. It wasn't like the others. It was aged and low. It was authoritative. It was arrogant. She didn't like the voice in an instant, though she didn't even know whom it belonged to. She had a pretty good guess, though, because Hisoka pulled her closer to him and moved forward in front of her, as if shielding her away from view.

Her schoolmates had immediately paved the way for whoever it was, and some even walked away, unsure of what they should be doing. Natsumi peeked from behind Hisoka…

"We meet at last."

She silently gasped as a good-looking middle-aged man walked towards them with grace. He wore an all-black tuxedo with a white bowtie. It would've looked weird if someone else had worn it, but he seemed to carry it so well. He wasn't as beautiful as Hisoka was, but his pale skin seemed smooth to the touch. His short blonde hair was cropped like he was a military soldier. And his eyes… they were tantalizing royal blue. If she didn't know a person such as Hisoka, then this man would definitely foot the bill for being an angel.

He stopped a few feet away from them and held his arms wide open, like he was welcoming the whole squad.

"Ahh, your pictures don't do you justice, my dear. I am glad you look nothing like me."

Natsumi couldn't say anything. She didn't know what to do! With his hands facing them, she could see that his palms were clean. So only his stooges had such cuts, huh? She didn't like his voice. She was beginning to dislike everything else about him. Natsumi quivered aimlessly and attempted to take a step forward, but Hisoka had pulled her back and hid her behind him again.

"Alphonse." Hisoka nodded, as if acknowledging another big force.

"Hisoka." Alphonse had also acknowledged him.

But how did he know his name? Did they know each other?

"I see you've made yourself my daughter's fighter. The reports of my men did tell me she's pretty fragile. But how fragile is she that even the infamous Genei Ryodan has taken her safety upon themselves? I wonder. A vulnerable lass, taken to be the burden of willing assassins. Highly amusing."

Natsumi winced at his words. Alphonse continued to speak.

"Ahh, look at you. The splitting image of your mother. She was quite the woman in her prime, you know. I wonder if you've taken a similar route."

She frowned.

"If I had a choice, I would have bathed in the filth of men than choose _yours._"

Alphonse chuckled in delight at her response and clapped his hands.

"Attention, everyone! I would like to introduce the debut of my beautiful daughter, Natsumi! I was quite the naughty one in the past, as you may have imagined! Please welcome her."

Everyone was just as shocked as Natsumi was. He announced their relation! She scowled at him as everyone applauded at the announcement. But they all suddenly felt somewhat fearful of her now. Being Alphonse's daughter would've definitely explained being the subject of the Ryodan's protection.

Alphonse sighed.

"Why don't we take this somewhere more private? After all, this reunion is one for the books."

"I would burn those books myself," Natsumi spat.

Alphonse chuckled once again and led the way.

"You may look like your mother, but you have my intellect!"

--

_Do I live in transparency?_

_Or is my love just that obvious?_

_But you are in the dark…_

_Like an opaque object's casted shadow_

--

They were escorted through many hallways. Too many, in fact, that Natsumi was finally lost. She could no longer hear the merrymaking of the party. All she could hear was the sound of an indoor fountain. The walls were just as grand as the way the mansion looked from outside. Covered in velvety material and expensive-looking paintings, it was a museum exhibit. Maybe "mansion" wasn't even the correct word. Maybe "palace" was most appropriate.

They finally stopped before a room with huge double French doors. Two young ladies opened them and bowed low as their master entered. Natsumi and Hisoka followed closely behind, and the rest of the Ryodan came at their own pace.

Inside, it seemed like a big study room. It was full of books and paintings, heavy furniture, and a big desk that had a bunch of monitors on top. There were around 30 men inside the room with them, bordering each edge and corner of the room, like they were part of the wall. They all wore white suits and sunglasses, as if their identity was precious to them.

"Please, have a seat. Champagne, anyone? This is a celebration, after all."

No one took his offer. He had poured only two glasses, after all. One was for himself. He handed the other to Natsumi.

"No thank you," she said flatly.

She stood beside the couch but didn't sit down. Hisoka had already let her go, but he was still just a foot away from where she stood.

"Really?" Alphonse said, pretending to be shocked. "You know, your mom jumped at alcohol like she was a-"

"Please discontinue your stories. I seriously do not give a damn."

"Ha! And a while ago, you were such a sweet-looking, innocent, cowardly girl. Perhaps you feigned first impressions to fool me?"

"No... I just greatly dislike you."

"Hmm…" he smiled at her appreciatively. "Your presence was such a pleasant surprise, you know. I was looking for you all this time. I wish to thank you for sparing me the search."

"I wanted to see you."

"Familial bond is such that we cannot keep away from each other, after all."

"And animosity is such that we cannot keep someone alive for long."

Alphonse was obviously having fun. Every statement that came out of Natsumi's mouth seemed to please him in every possible way. He chuckled heartily, his pale face creasing with genuine laugh lines. And here she was, hollow like an empty soul. This man was her father. It was impossible! Aside from looking nothing like him, he was the embodiment of cruelty. He could torture a weak soul simply with his words.

"Tell me, my lovely child. What are you doing here? And with a battalion of seasoned warriors to boot! Did you want to see me that much? It is an honor."

"I'll have you know that aside from last week, upon learning about you, I have never thought twice about a father."

"Oh, I'm sure. But now that you know about me, doesn't it make you feel complete? You're a young girl, after all! Your identity is defined by those who love you! Those who care for you! Mother, father, friends, lovers. Oh, I forgot. You've never had a lover in your lifetime. And you've never had much friends, have you?"

Natsumi flinched at his words, and her heart began to beat faster in pace.

"Come over here, my daughter…" he reached out for her, but Hisoka immediately went in front of her and blocked his hand.

Alphonse smiled in appreciation.

"You're very reliable, aren't you? Well, reliability can only be as useful as far as she would warrant it, don't you think? Let us let the damsel in distress decide for herself, like real men."

Hisoka stiffened in his place. She could just imagine what he felt right now… because he knew for sure that she'd allow Alphonse to do as he pleased for now. Hisoka took a step aside and avoided her eyes, obviously disliking the development. She could see his fingers twitch every now and then. She turned to the rest of the Ryodan. Didn't they have their own plan? They wanted his riches, didn't they? So why were they allowing her to have her own time with this madman?

"Let me show you something," Alphonse said, holding her elbow gently and leading her to the bookshelf in the far end of the room. Hisoka took a step forward upon seeing him touch her, but Nobunaga held on to his shoulder.

"Natsumi's got this…" he murmured.

"He is _touching_ her," Hisoka gritted his teeth.

"Hey, I don't like it either."

A few meters away from them, Alphonse took a book from the shelf. He handed it to Natsumi, who took it curiously. He then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her closer to him, and she tensed up.

"This book is special, you see," he began.

She opened the cover, and scrunched her face in confusion. It wasn't a book. Inside, there was a hollow compartment that held a remote with a single button. She traced the edges, trying to think of what it could possibly be.

"That button has such a spectacular power, you know?" he continued. He brought her to the window beside the bookshelf and stared far away. With his free arm, he slowly waved in a gentle manner, like he was tracing an imaginary rainbow with his palm. "If you press it, beautiful things will appear on this window. Why don't you try it?"

Natsumi looked through the window. It was pitch black outside, with a few lights from downstairs. What was the button for? Fireworks? More fountains? She set her thumb on the red button. She frowned.

"No thank you. I've seen beautiful things in my life already."

Alphonse sighed sadly.

"You don't trust me, do you? Here."

Before she could even move away from him, he had grabbed her hand and pressed on her thumb, and thus pressing the red button as well. She pulled away from him, afraid of what was going to happen, but instinctively, she looked to the window, to see what beautiful things were going to appear. Her eyes widened as she watched…

Alphonse had said that beautiful things would appear ON the window… not through it. And what was on the window but the reflection of what was behind them? And behind her…

She turned around.

"Princess!"

Hisoka's voice was muffled through the transparent fence that separated them now. In the middle of the room was a screen of electricity that had somehow been generated. Every now and then, the shrieking sound of the little bolts of lightning would ascend, and then disappear again. It was almost an invisible shield… but it was there.

So Alphonse had brought her to the other side of the room so that she'd be away from the others. The button had triggered the electricity as she watched stupidly at the window, when its effect was behind her.

"Did you think I'd let your dogs kill me, Natsumi?" Alphonse laughed aloud. "Thought you were more clever than I was? Of course not, my darling. You're generations behind!"

His laughter echoed throughout the room as she ran to Hisoka. She slowly let her hand touch the flashes of electricity.

"AH!" she yelled.

It burned. The slight touch of the wall of electricity stung her entire arm. If she hadn't retracted in time, it would have reached the base of her neck, and then her brain. She'd be paralyzed. Hisoka glared at the laughing man.

"Do you think that mere electricity can stop me from being with my princess?" he spoke, annoyed.

With a step forward, he rammed his body into the electric force. But instead of cruising right through it as he had thought, his body shivered as the electricity surged through his entire body. Every nerve shivered in confusion and sent waves of pain to his brain. He stood frozen for a few seconds, then tried to move closer to her, stretching his arm to try and touch her at least.

"Stop it! Stop it! Don't come closer, Hisoka!"

It was like a horrific drama played before her. He allowed the electricity to hurt him. He could move his arms stiffly and roughly, but his legs couldn't move any further. But he was silent. He didn't utter a sound as he extended his arm to reach out for her. She moved forward to pull him to her, but Alphonse had pulled her back to him as he wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"Yes!" Alphonse smirked. "I think that mere electricity can stop you from being with your… what did you call her? Your PRINCESS? That's hilarious!!!"

Hisoka finally let the electricity push him back, and he flew to the wall, creating a small crack where his skull had met the cement.

"Hisoka!" Natsumi yelled and tried to run to him, but Alphonse kept her in his arms tightly.

Hisoka seemed to be knocked out cold, but after a few seconds, he raised his head and threw a card that aimed for Alphonse's head. But before it could reach him, it sizzled in the air and was burnt until only its ashes remained. He scowled.

"You see, I knew the Genei Ryodan was after me," he explained. "But what could possibly stop expert assassins from getting to me? And then I thought… Ahh! A wall of electricity! You see, I know you have sustained broken bones, ruptured organs, and what-have-you. But no one can stop electricity! It penetrates everything, and it hurts like burning in flames! I commend you, Hisoka. Out of many of my men, you lasted the longest. I bet you feel pretty awful."

Hisoka stood up and brushed his hair, like nothing was wrong.

"I am still worth a few tries, actually," he taunted.

Alphonse frowned.

"You can try all night, but you still won't get past it, as you may already know. I didn't realize you were capable of wanting a girl, though. Last time I saw you, you were quite the crazy killer."

"…Last time…?" Natsumi repeated.

Alphonse chuckled again.

"Oh, you didn't tell her? Well, honey, your Hisoka used to kill for me. Earned quite a lot from me, too. He charges such a high price, you see. But it was always worth the money, down to the last cent."

Hisoka scoffed.

"If I had known you were her father, I'd have killed you instead of all those men."

Alphonse rubbed his chin against Natsumi's head, and she froze in place. She quivered in his touch. His skin was cold… so different from Hisoka's.

"You're forgetting, Hisoka… aside from all those men, there were women and children, too."

Natsumi's eyes widened, and Hisoka looked away from her. His shoulders slumped down. Alphonse hit the spot.

"Women… and children…?" Natsumi murmured.

"Aww, look at him! Ashamed now, are we? You weren't like this before. You couldn't even tell the difference between a man and a woman. Or was it that you didn't care who you killed?"

Alphonse laughed aloud like a madman upon seeing the reactions of the two. He twirled Natsumi's hair around his fingers.

"You seem so shocked, my baby girl. Looks like you didn't exactly know who you were dealing with, huh? Oh, I can read the betrayal in your eyes. Or is that fear? How can a relationship ever be based on fear?"

Natsumi's mind went blank. If she could melt like butter, she would have spread all over the floor and be stepped on. Hisoka killed children? Little kids, who didn't know anything about the cruelty of the world? But he was an angel! She already knew he killed… but somehow she had believed that the people he killed were only those who were out to get her, like that time they met. But no… how could she have been so stupid?

"I'm curious, you know…" Alphonse continued speaking. "Why are you acting like they're your companions when you were only using them to get to me?"

Natsumi weakly glanced at them. For the first time ever, they seemed to be unable to do anything. Had Alphonse truly outsmarted them all? If he did, then she really was generations away from his intelligence. And she thought she was smart…

"I already thought about that… It must be Stockholm Syndrome. I tried to be immune to it, but apparently it's somehow inevitable."

Alphonse scoffed.

"Stockholm Syndrome, huh? That's a pretty impressive deduction. But answer this: Why is it that _they_ seem to act like _you_ need their protection? Why do they want to take care of you? Why do they seem to regard you as something so precious? And why oh why does the Great Hisoka want to protect you despite the pain and suffering? I mean, you are clearly unsure of what he means to you, specifically. Am I correct? That display of affection outside my home… the way you touched and looked at each other… You _looked_ sure of what you were doing, holding his hand to your face like that. But I know that you hardly even pay any attention to him, if at all. In fact, you're annoyed, aren't you? You obviously hate attention! Tell me I'm right!"

Natsumi closed her eyes. How did he know all that?! He was right on target! Hisoka… her knight and angel. Hisoka… who was he to her? And who was she to him?

"Yes…" Natsumi whispered. From the side of her eyes, she saw Hisoka lower his head in defeat. Her chest contracted. She felt that pain again.

"So answer me, my beautiful daughter. You don't like him, so why should he like you? Does he _really_ have such strong feelings for you? Does the Ryodan really _want_ to protect you because they think you're important to them? You're smart, aren't you? Answer me!"

"I DON'T KNOW!!!"

Natsumi yelled and fell to her knees, clutching her head like it was heavy. Tears began to appear once more. She shook like she was feeling cold.

"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know! I don't know why Nobunaga gives me presents! I don't know why Shizuku helped me prepare for tonight! I don't know why Franklin speaks to me like he's my teacher! And I don't know why Hisoka pays so much attention to me when I clearly don't deserve it! I don't know!!!"

Alphonse smiled in triumph. He bent down and patted her head, like she was a disobedient dog that was clearly sorry for what it did.

"I'll tell you why, my dear. It's very simple. You see, you weren't victim of Stockholm Syndrom. No. But these people are victims of something else."

He glanced at them and grinned.

"Have you ever heard of _Lima_ Syndrome?"

--

End of Chapter!


	12. Unreachable, Untouchable

Hello, people! I know, I know. It's been a while since I've updated! Seriously, I am so sorry. I know how it feels like to be waiting for a story. But it's not like I can help it, right? College will never leave me alone. Haha.

Thank you so much for all the reviewers!!! There are too many of you for me to address one by one. But thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I really wasn't expecting this much feedback! I will gladly write some more just for you guys!

Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter or its characters, although I own Natsumi and things about her.

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**Chapter 11: Unreachable, Untouchable**

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* * *

  
**

"Damn it!" Kurapika cursed as he pressed on the brakes. His tires screeched loudly, making a few passersby glance. Without bothering to park the car properly, he jumped out and sprinted towards the brightly lit building.

He glanced at his watch and gritted his teeth. Fifteen more minutes before Alphonse's scheduled crime spree. He had to make it before then.

* * *

_I have nothing to say_

_After all, my smile speaks for itself_

_You are my bliss_

* * *

"Lima… Syndrome…?" Natsumi whispered. Her brain wasn't producing any answers. She gritted her teeth, shaking. It was scary, this feeling of being in the dark – the feeling of not knowing something. She hated it.

Alphonse chuckled again as he stared at the shaking girl before him. Natsumi knew the feeling of being the most intelligent person in a group. It never really helped her get anywhere, but that was only because she never tried to draw attention to herself. This man, however, was a different case. She knew that he was feeling downright powerful, and he was bound to use it to his advantage. She could tell that he was confident as a cat would in a small cage full of mice. And he wasn't the type to hide his advantages.

"Where is your intelligence now, daughter? You're an embarrassment!" he roared in a fit of laughter, apparently finding humor in the ignorance of the frail girl. "Let me enlighten you, my baby. Lima Syndrome is quite an uncommon psychological disorder, as you might have already construed. I discovered it over a decade after my friend's father discovered Stockholm. I was on vacation in Lima when a bank robbery took place. The robbers had multiple hostages at their disposal. Do you know what happened?"

Natsumi shivered as if there was a cold draft that went her way. Alphonse was making her look like a fool now, asking her a question he knew she couldn't answer. She looked away, embarrassed.

"Well, surprisingly, the robbers took pity on their hostages. The robbers! They suddenly felt compelled to attend to every need of those hostages! They gave them food! They gave them water! They gave them time to go to the bathroom! Do you even think that's normal, when robbers are supposed to be hostile individuals who are full of aggression? No! It was too interesting for me to let be, so I stayed at Lima for over two years, researching... investigating..."

He heaved a sigh dramatically, as if showing how passionate he was about his work. If Natsumi had been in her normal state of mind, she would've rolled her eyes at his whole presentation. But she couldn't even think of anything else aside from her helplessness and the betrayal of the man across the room. Hisoka… He had killed women and children! He killed people like her mother, like Killua and Gon, people like herself...

She wanted to look at him, if only to see how he was taking all this. After all, he had already stopped reacting to Alphonse's actions towards her. Did he give up that easily? But she sealed the urge to even glance at him… or was she out of energy now, having been mentally and emotionally drained by her father's manipulations that she couldn't even bring herself to swing her head to the side? She didn't know. Once again, she really didn't know. She felt like a rug was pulled beneath her and she wasn't fast enough to regain balance.

Her eyes were slowly losing its focus… tears were coming. Her lips were quivering… she was about to cry. Finally, she thought. Crying was the only thing she did best in the world. Maybe it was even the only thing she knew how to do.

Alphonse noticed this and grinned wickedly, sensing his impending triumph.

"So, my baby girl, do you see what I mean? All those questions you were asking about these people, about why they were taking care of you, why they were treating you like a friend, why you think they CARE about you…" he went on, and Natsumi flinched at the way he mockingly said the word "care," which pointed to Hisoka. "They're very sick! Ill, even! Psychoanalysis is overdue! However…"

His sudden change in tone forced Natsumi to look at her handsome father… He wasn't grinning anymore. She bit her lip to stop it from shaking, lest she wanted him to watch her cry. He turned around and faced her, and her heartbeat stopped for two full seconds. He was terrifying; the way he looked at her, it was far from normal. He scanned her from head to toe as she shivered on the cold, marble floor as if she was a piece of meat, ready to be fed to a pack of starving wolves.

He bent down gracefully, if it was even possible for a criminal mastermind to be graceful, and stared at her. She tried to glare at him, to show that she still had much courage left… but she couldn't look at his piercing eyes, which seemed to conceal so much dangerous innuendo. She looked away, still shaking.

Alphonse reached out and took her chin, forcing her to look at him. He looked intently into her eyes as if searching for an answer to his internal battle.

"Do you know what baffles me?" he asked, his tone still calculating. Natsumi didn't know if she wanted to reply, or if she even could utter a word, but he continued. "You… what kind of person are you to have been able to victimize the entire Genei Ryodan, a group of heartless, cold, and apathetic assassins? I've seen different cases all over the world, but your case is special… Just who are you that every one of these killers are protecting you, taking care of you… Why?! Why?! WHY?!"

He yelled now, showing his apparent apprehension, and Natsumi involuntarily flinched. Her eyes finally gave in and fresh tears rushed out. But Alphonse wasn't done. He frowned deeply, but moments later, a wide grin flashed across his face.

"I do have a hypothesis, though."

He stood up and grabbed Natsumi by her hair. She grunted softly from the sharp tug but didn't speak.

"Yes… a very accurate hypothesis at that," he chuckled. "You are…"

He paused a moment and closed his eyes, seemingly basking in his own self-righteousness.

"Pathetic."

Natsumi stopped breathing when he uttered those words. She opened her mouth to speak, but still nothing came out.

"_I am… pathetic?"_ she thought. _"I… am… pathetic…?"_

_

* * *

_

_Maybe, if I dream about you,_

_I will sleep forever and ever  
_

_Just to see you rest your head on my lap_

_Just to feel this happiness inside_

_

* * *

_

Alphonse obviously liked her inaudible response. He pulled her by her hair and dragged her to the wall of electricity, showing her off to the Ryodan. Natsumi's eyes were wide but blank. She hadn't stopped shaking since she dropped to the ground. She looked like a damaged toy.

"Pathetic, pathetic. You're the most pathetic thing in the world! When people see you, they just see some weak little damsel in distress. They find you so pathetic, in fact, that they psychologically feel the need to exert some effort to make you even a little less pathetic! That is how the Ryodan sees you. That is how everyone in your life has seen you! You're useless, do you understand? What have you done for the world for all your intelligence? Nothing!"

Natsumi's lips still quivered after he was done speaking. No air entered her lungs. She had forgotten to breathe. Her pale face slowly turned blue as even more tears fell. She was pathetic… No wonder everyone was that way… No wonder _Hisoka_ was that way. She knew there was something wrong with her. Who would've known it was because she was pathetic?

"Natsumi!" Nobunaga yelled. "Hey! Are you breathing?!"

The samurai attempted to go through the electricity as Hisoka had tried earlier, but he was pushed back to the wall as well. He clutched his sword and desperately slashed the barrier but nothing happened. The iron seemed to conduct the electricity, but it wouldn't even go through. He gritted his teeth, screaming and shouting as he cursed Alphonse's name.

He then turned to Hisoka, a frantic expression plastered on his face. He grabbed the unresponsive jester by his tuxedo's collar and shook him roughly.

"Hey, you bastard! What the hell is wrong with you?! Do something! Hey!"

Hisoka frowned for a second and glared at Nobunaga, but later went back to his blank state. Nobunaga grimaced and turned to the other members of the Spider. In a single glance, they all seemed to remain cool and unfazed. Nobunaga knew though, from years of comradeship, that underneath those smug faces were strong urges to end all this.

Nobunaga also knew that one or two of them would be sufficient enough to kill everyone in this room, including Alphonse. He was sure that every single one of them already had a plan devised in his or her head that would succeed. After all, they weren't the feared Genei Ryodan for nothing. Alphonse probably thought that he was superior, oblivious of the true strength of these assassins.

But he knew the reason why none of them had made a move. He turned again and looked at the girl on the ground. Natsumi. No one wanted to kill in front of her. Never again, just like Hisoka vowed.

The annoying thing was that Natsumi seemed to believe everything that the crazy man was saying, and the fact that none of them had made a move seemed to confirm all that. Nobunaga felt frustrated – more so than he's ever felt in his entire life. What was he to do?

"She isn't breathing…" Nobunaga repeated, helpless.

Alphonse seemed annoyed that none of the Ryodan, aside from Hisoka and Nobunaga, seemed to care about his deductions. Natsumi was in his mercy and all they did was stare at him with those arrogant, haughty faces. He was irritated. Insulted, even.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Machi walked closer and spoke sooner.

"So you think we're all psychologically ill?" she asked, almost mockingly. Her icy stare seemed to pierce through Alphonse's confidence a little bit, but he still considered himself superior.

"I've been watching you for quite some time, woman," he said, grinning. "And your name is?"

"Machi," she said flatly.

"Ahh, Machi. Your name rhymes with what you are… a kunoichi. Is this a coincidence, or was it by default that you decided to use your looks for some deadly action?"

"It is by choice," she replied.

Her voice was flat and monotonous, stirring some displeasure in Alphonse. She bent down and watched Natsumi, who still hadn't started breathing. Nobunaga caught a worried spark in Machi's eye. So she was getting agitated as well. She was just better at hiding it than he was. Or was she planning something?

Alphonse responded.

"By choice, you say? You say it without life! Does it have no meaning? But I know where you come from… When you say you chose to live such a life, wasn't it only because you only had two options? To survive through others' misfortunes or to die without an identity… you naturally chose the only option that would give you life, like the maggot you are! In essence, you had no choice! Either live or die! Nobody ever said it was a fair world. But wouldn't you think that everyone else would've wanted you to die instead? Your death is the wish of others!"

Nobunaga clenched his fist hard enough for it to start bleeding. Alphonse was trying to get Machi to lose her cool. Only she and Feitan had consistently kept their faces straight every single time, and even Feitan slipped sometimes because of his obsession with blood. But if Alphonse managed to get Machi's composure to falter even a little bit, the rest of the Ryodan would follow suit. That wouldn't be good.

They needed to do something fast because Natsumi didn't seem like she was going to remember to breathe anytime soon.

"You are forgetting, Alphonse," Machi replied, "that you are almost the same as we are. You are a criminal, just like we are. You like bloodshed, just like we do. The only difference between us is that we… are better at what we do."

She glanced up with her cold eyes, and Alphonse froze for a second. Machi was fierce. None of his words seem to affect her. It was like she wasn't even listening! Or did she hear everything he said but really did not care? How powerful was she to be impervious to _his_ words? Even Hisoka fell for his manipulations!

"Shouldn't you watch your mouth, Machi-dono?" Alphonse cooed, though a hint of impatience could be made out. "No matter how much you scratch my evident stature in this room, Natsumi is, quite literally, still in my hands."

He smirked. Machi switched her attention once more to Natsumi.

"I must say that I'm impressed," Alphonse continued. "From afar, that samurai friend of yours was able to tell that my baby girl wasn't breathing. How sharp! Poor daughter… So traumatized."

He pulled Natsumi closer to him and smoothed out her hair as if she was one of his pets. Machi frowned – her first change in expression.

"Hey, Natsumi," she said loudly, though still maintaining her flat tone. "Hisoka was bragging about how you two slept together last night."

There was a moment of silence.

And then, in a flash, Natsumi's jerked away from Alphonse's grasp and sharply breathed in a lungful of air. She growled for a moment as the atmosphere around her turned deadly.

"HE…SAID…**WHAT?!"**

Everyone looked at each other, confused. Alphonse backed away, surprised by the sudden reaction. Nobunaga blinked and looked at Hisoka, whose face suddenly turned into a fearful expression.

"No… I didn't!" Hisoka stuttered. Any trace of pain was gone. "Princess, she's lying! I really didn't!"

Nobunaga swore he saw flames appear in Natsumi's eyes as she glared at the clown from across the room.

"You didn't? You didn't do what?! You aren't completing the sentence, you fiend! Tell me! You didn't do what?!"

Hisoka looked around, trying to seek help. Machi was obviously suppressing a grin.

"YOU DIDN'T DO WHAT?!" Natsumi yelled at last.

Hisoka cringed at her voice and spoke guiltily.

"I… I didn't tell her… much."

Shalnark and Shizuku, who had been quiet all along, began laughing out loud. Franklin slapped his own face and sighed as if finding hopelessness in the air. Feitan remained unfazed.

"Prick!" Natsumi screamed.

She breathed heavily for a few seconds, trying to get oxygen back in her brain after the long period of deprivation. Then, she turned to Alphonse. He drew back all of a sudden, seeing the apparent change in her eyes. It wasn't possible. He had her! She was on the ground, traumatized! She was too damaged to return to her reassuring self! How could the kunoichi have known what to say to bring Natsumi back from her trance?

"Just because you think you're back does not mean you are safe, baby girl," Alphonse spat. "Look around before getting feisty."

Natsumi did look around. He was right. There were still around ten of his henchmen in her side of the room. She remembered how her mother warned her to always stay away from groups of men, even those she knew well. Men were still men, even if they weren't of the pig kind. She never really found herself in the presence of many boys. It was probably because she always believed they were a waste of time because all they did was compare biceps, abs, and… other parts of their bodies.

She shook her head. This was a different case. She had no choice.

'_Sorry, mom,_' she thought.

"So what now, my precious girl?" Alphonse asked. "You seemed to have regained your confidence. Would you like to lose it again?"

He snapped his fingers and two of his men grabbed each of her arms.

'Not again!'she yelled in her head.

She began shaking at their touch. They gripped her tiny arms so tightly. She knew that she was going to have more bruises tonight… if she ever gets out of this. Alphonse walked in her direction, but he gazed all the while at Hisoka, who was now alive once more.

"Do you know the most traumatic and embarrassing thing a woman can ever experience?"

Natsumi furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Hisoka's eyes grew wide in understanding as Alphonse smiled wickedly. The jester took a threatening step forward.

"If you touch my princess-"

"What will happen?" Alphonse asked, having fun once more. "I've already been touching her, haven't I? Let me remind you that you haven't gotten her back yet."

Hisoka glanced at Natsumi, but she turned away. He could tell what that meant: "I haven't forgiven you." He never thought he'd regret killing those women and children. Apparently things that have been done with confidence could still turn out regrettable. This was annoying him. There was such a drastic change in the atmosphere. One moment there were such intense emotions, and then a sudden light and happy tone the next.

And now… it was back to this. He didn't care about the other Ryodan members; they never really felt anything. But Natsumi... she was weak and easily swayed. Why couldn't he protect her? Why couldn't he just kill all these people? He knew that he could do the job fast enough so that it would seem that he didn't even leave his spot. But Natsumi… she would know. She always knew something was up, even when she didn't know exactly what it was. And if you gave her a little more time, she would figure it out, no matter how few the details she had to work with to come up with a conclusion.

"Looks like even the naughty ones are out of words!" Alphonse grinned. "You believe yourself to be so mighty, so high! But let me teach you all about human limitations. They will always be that obstacle you will never be able to cross! It just isn't possible! You can't cross this wall of electricity because the pain and energy are unbearable – a human limitation! You can't think of anything beyond this because your brains are not fit for such a task – another human limitation! Assassins or not, human limitations will always stab your back, right at the spine, rendering you immobile. That is human limitation."

Natsumi furrowed her brows. She felt another wave of tickling at the base of her head. Has her subconscious perception figured out something that her conscious mind hadn't yet? Again with the feeling!

'_Human limitation…'_ the words reverberated in her head.

But the sound of screaming men suddenly cut her trail of thoughts. A few men dropped to the ground with a lifeless thud. There were clanking sounds of metal, clashing invisibly around the room. The men who had fallen to the ground had their arms broken and their legs twisted. They all yelped in pain. There was another change in atmosphere.

"What is this?!" Alphonse yelled.

The rest of the men who were left standing took on fighting stances, although they were panicking in their heads Natsumi trembled at the sight of more blood. She could see the faces of the Ryodan. Hisoka suddenly frowned and Nobunaga scowled. The rest of them had on some unpleasant expressions. Together with the clanking noise, she could tell who it was. And she was happy.

"Kurapika!" she yelled, smiling widely. Tears came, but she couldn't wipe them away. Those two men still had her by her arms.

As soon as she dropped his name, he appeared from the door, his chains dancing wildly in the air like deadly torpedoes. His eyes were turning maroon – most likely a combination of his contacts and the bright angry crimson underneath them. For a second, his face showed relief once he saw her alive. But it was gone as soon as it came, and he dropped his arms to the sides. His violent chains followed suit and retracted back.

The entire room was silenced by his presence. He slowly walked forward. He seemed calm, but she could see his eyes scan the entire room. He was assessing the situation. Then…

"HISOKA!"

Kurapika yelled and punched him square in the face, forcing the jester to fall on the ground and hit the wall. He didn't move an inch, nor did her show any emotion upon being hit. And yet the rest of the Ryodan didn't do anything to help him this time. Did they agree with Kurapika's rage, even though he hadn't said anything?

"You bastard… You take Natsumi away from me… and allow her to be in such a situation!?"

He grabbed Hisoka by his hair and punched him another time. Hisoka still didn't react. Kurapika dropped him then and turned to Alphonse, who flinched backwards upon seeing his apparent vicious face. Kurapika walked forward, and Alphonse smirked.

"Stop, Kurapika! There's a-"

Natsumi tried to warn him, but he walked into the wall of electricity and screamed in pain. He was flung into the wall just like Hisoka, but crashed even harder because he hadn't expected the onslaught of force.

"Kurapika!" Natsumi yelled and propelled herself forward, only to be pulled backwards once more by the men who had her. They gripped even more tightly, and she winced. Her hands involuntarily curled up and were turning bluish-purple. Her blood had slowed in its circulation. And it hurt.

Kurapika gritted his teeth and stretched his arm out. His chains flew toward Alphonse, but once they had reached the barrier, they stopped mid-air and shook violently. In a split second, Kurapika yelled out once more in pain from the electricity that his weapon had conducted. His chains immediately withdrew without his command, protecting their master. He stood up, but his knees felt weak beneath him. He leaned against the wall and bowed his head down as he coughed out blood.

"Kurapika…" Natsumi uttered.

Alphonse laughed loudly, his handsome face contorted into a sadistic form. Any feeling of surprise in him from earlier was completely gone. He applauded like he had seen the best performance of a lifetime, and he wiped the tears that had formed from laughing. Natsumi felt a shiver run down her spine. This man… he scared her…

"I must say, killing my men like that has made you stand out, boy. I was indeed expecting some government mercenary to come after me tonight… However, I wasn't expecting him to be an attractive young man! I wonder… I wonder, I wonder, I wonder! What is _your_ story?"

Alphonse then turned to look at Hisoka.

"And what is your connection to him, Hisoka? Is he upset that you've cheated on him with a mere girl? Is that why you let him hit you?"

He laughed at his own joke and clapped his hands. Then, he turned serious.

"Or… is it that you've kidnapped Natsumi from him? Is it that you've deceived them both in order to have Natsumi for yourself? And is it that you've brought her here because she wished to be here, even though you knew well how capable I am of endangering her life? And now… is this kid here to take her back, where she is a million times safer than when she is around you? Oh, not to mention that maybe you've already done something that has made her fear you…"

Hisoka was still on the ground, having been punched by Kurapika, but he wasn't responding. Again… There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, which Natsumi saw. Alphonse's words… How did he know everything? If he didn't expect Kurapika to be part of this… then how did he know every single event that had happened prior to this?

Alphonse turned again to Kurapika.

"Get up, young man! Aren't you here to take something back? You aren't trying hard enough!"

Kurapika lifted his head and glared at him. Alphonse raised his brows in amusement.

"Your eyes…" he smiled. "You're a special kind, aren't you? I would say… Kuruta, correct? Even behind those contact lenses, you cannot hide who you are."

Kurapika scowled, "Be quiet! The government will have your head by the end of this day!"

He thrust his arm forward once more, his chains going along. But once again, the electricity traveled through the metal and painfully pierced his body in different places. He groaned and bit his tongue, trying to keep himself from uttering a sound.

He breathed out heavily in helplessness. He could feel Hisoka's uselessness now. He glanced up. Natsumi's eyes were wide as she scanned his half of the room. She couldn't take her eyes off the dead bodies of the men he had killed in five seconds. Then, she looked at him with fearful eyes. He reached out, and as if she felt his touch, she jerked away, afraid.

Alphonse chuckled a thousandth time.

"Idiotic government agents… Although, I must say," Alphonse continued. "You're pretty good at networking, my daughter! I think you got that from your mother. With one look, she'd get any man to, well, you know, have a good time."

Natsumi scowled, but immediately slumped forward. What could she do anyway? Hisoka was down. Kurapika was down. Nobunaga and the others didn't seem too worried… It was as if they knew they could end this right now, but were holding back. Did it have something to with her?

"Maybe you're the idiot," Machi spat. "You can't stay in that half of the room forever."

Alphonse smirked.

"Oh, so sharp! Of course I can't! You are definitely right. So what can I do but remove you from your half? Dispose of you, like the pests of society that you are? I should get a medal of honor from York Shin!"

Nobunaga looked around the room.

"And how are you going to do that, geezer?" he pointed around the room. "The blonde boy already killed half of the men over here. If they attack, he won't hesitate to kill some more."

Alphonse chuckled.

"You've given yourself away, haven't you? Or should I say… you've given everyone away!" he said, his triumphant tone once again resurfacing.

Nobunaga narrowed his eyes. He gave everyone away?

Natsumi's jaw dropped silently, apparently understanding as well. Alphonse noticed and grinned.

"Great minds think alike, don't they, my precious? Tell your fan, Nobunaga, what he has done!"

Natsumi shook, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. Her lips quivered. She looked away. Nobunaga frowned and looked at the rest of the Ryodan. They didn't understand… Even Shalnark didn't know what he was saying.

Alphonse scoffed when Natsumi wouldn't speak. He waved the men away and they let go of her immediately, causing her to fall off balance on the floor. Her hands suddenly stretched out as new blood went in her fingers. But she couldn't stop shaking.

"Natsumi… your arm…" Shizuku whispered, though her face didn't show any change.

* * *

_Different scenarios play out in my head,_

_But still you are unreachable_

_If only I could fly to where you are_

_Then maybe my smile will never falter_

_

* * *

_

Natsumi couldn't hear her, but Hisoka had finally moved for the first time as he turned his head to look at what Shizuku meant. He gritted his teeth upon seeing Natsumi's black-purple arms. Those men were holding her tighter than was necessary. From the look of her left arm, her humerus was near to the point of fracture.

"Aww!" Alphonse cooed. "Your arm may hurt, but you can still talk, can you not? Speak, Natsumi!" he roared. She softly shrieked and cowered on the floor, tears beginning to form again. "Tell Nobunaga his stupid mistake! Embarrass him, this friend of yours!"

When she wouldn't respond, he frowned and grabbed her by her left arm and lifted her up. She yelped inaudibly. It hurt too much. She didn't even know the man had been holding her tight enough for her arm to get fractured!

"Tell him, my daughter!" He squeezed her arm and she screamed. Hisoka watched on, his eyes widening in horror, as Natsumi was now beginning to feel physical pain this time.

"Nobu…naga…" she whispered. Alphonse smiled widely. "Nobunaga… and everyone… you… cannot kill in front of me… can you?"

Alphonse burst out laughing, clapping his hands again as he let Natsumi go. She fell sideways, on her bad arm, and she whimpered like an injured animal. Nobunaga clenched his fist, and Machi crossed her arms in annoyance. How did he know? It was obvious that only Hisoka had apparent strong feelings about killing in front of her. How did he know that everyone else did as well?

Alphonse grinned and cleared his throat, sensing that he needed to enlighten the otherwise sharp assassins.

"Well, you know… Why would this samurai put all the blame of killing my men on that blonde boy? As soon as he walked in, I sensed some hidden murderous intent. You don't like him, do you? And so it was okay to put all the deaths of these men on his shoulders! And you even said that if more of my men would attack, he'd take care of them! Why not yourselves? It is because you don't want to have blood on your hands as this extremely pathetic child is watching!"

Nobunaga growled and threw himself forward, unsheathing his sword as he moved. With one thrust, he attempted to slice through Alphonse, whose eyes went wide in sudden surprise. The blade was merely a few inches away from where he stood. It had gone through halfway, just as Hisoka had when he tried to walk through. But, just like previous attempts, he was thrown back to the wall, his sword flying with him and embedding itself on his shoulder. He didn't yell out in pain, though. He merely cussed and pulled his sword back, drawing out blood.

Alphonse snapped out of his shock and grinned again.

"Your reaction tells me it's true. Good job, Natsumi! You have successfully attacked your friends with your words!"

Natsumi breathed out and curled into a ball, her arm throbbing as she moved. It felt like a boxer was punching her arm repeatedly at full speed and force. She couldn't even comprehend much of what was going on. And yet her mind wouldn't stop working… She grimaced.

"I did no such thing…" she blurted out softly, breathing heavily. "I did… no such thing…"

Alphonse liked where this was going. He looked around.

"Well, as I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted by stupidity, I am going to dispose of all of you."

Machi narrowed her eyes, thinking of what was coming next. Feitan went beside Nobunaga, his hands twitching in anticipation.

"Cool it, Feitan," Nobunaga said. "If you lose it, I will be the first to stop you, and that isn't even taking in consideration what Hisoka will do to keep Natsumi's eyes free of horror."

Feitan crossed his arms.

"And that is why I have not done anything."

Alphonse chuckled again, garnering attention once more.

"I've arranged your downfall. It's going to be pricey," he said, sighing. "But I think it's well worth it, just to get you all off my back."

'_Pricey…?'_ Natsumi repeated in her head. '_An assassin…?'_

There were footsteps just as Alphonse gave his little introduction. Everyone turned to the door and peered into the dark hallway. Out of the shadows, there were three silhouettes. One by one, they walked into the light.

Natsumi's eyes widened in fear and confusion.

"Illumi-kun?"

* * *

End of chapter!

How was that? I hope you guys liked it! I will write the next chapter and upload it as soon as time will allow me to!

Please review if you guys are up to it! I love hearing what you think!


	13. Human Limitation

Hello, everyone!!! I hope everyone likes this chapter. WARNING, though, it is VERY LONG. There are so many things that will happen! It's because I've been buried for far too long with school that so many ideas came up. Lol. And I have a Calculus final tomorrow, and yet here I am, typing away. Heehee.

Anyway, I'll shut up now. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Human Limitation**

**

* * *

**_**Previously:**_

_Alphonse chuckled again, garnering attention once more._

"_I've arranged your downfall. It's going to be pricey," he said, sighing. "But I think it's well worth it, just to get you all off my back."_

'_Pricey…?' Natsumi repeated in her head. 'An assassin…?'_

_There were footsteps just as Alphonse gave his little introduction. Everyone turned to the door and peered into the dark hallway. Out of the shadows, there were three silhouettes. One by one, they walked into the light._

_Natsumi's eyes widened in fear and confusion._

"_Illumi-kun?"_

_

* * *

_The room went silent as the three newcomers walked in majestically. Illumi, who was also wearing a tuxedo, led the other two older men behind him. Natsumi squinted her eyes to see more clearly. However, after a few seconds of focusing, she felt a sudden wave of terror from looking at them. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like she was being choked by some nasty, bitter smoke that was in the air. What was this?

"_Human limitation…_" Alphonse's words were still in her mind. Why did her brain insist on understanding what that meant?

She coughed like a sick man, and it hurt her throat like a sharp fish bone had scratched it. The aura that was emanating from them… She looked up again and froze. Even if she couldn't see them clearly, she knew they were looking at her.

"Ahh!" Alphonse spoke, "My esteemed guests are finally here. Welcome!" he bowed gracefully. Any hint of his merciless personality was, for a moment, gone. "Please, make yourselves feel at home!"

Alphonse snapped his finger, and four young maids walked in. They carried trays of expensive-looking pastries and cocktails. Natsumi could sense the unsettling feeling those girls felt as they saw the dead men on the floor. What if they knew each other? What if they had been friends? One particular girl looked incredibly anxious and… was that a tear forming in her eye? Their expressions made Natsumi hate her father even more.

"Enough of the theatrics," Illumi spoke, his voice flat and icy. Alphonse flinched the slightest bit, though to everyone but Natsumi, that was a big and obvious movement. "You were not clear about your terms."

"_Terms…?"_ Natsumi thought, squeezing her brain for answers. Surely Illumi isn't what she thinks he is. This is Illumi! Prince Illumi! Sure, he scared her a couple of times, but this is Illumi… Illumi.

"Illumi-kun," Natsumi repeated, louder for everyone to hear this time.

Illumi then glanced at her, his pitch black eyes full of hidden agenda. She was still on the ground, holding on to her painful, injured arm. She stared up at him, waiting for him to say something. But Alphonse instead spoke up.

"What is this? Another unexpected turn of events?" he grinned. "My daughter seems to be acquainted with you, young master Zaoldyeck."

Illumi glanced back up at Alphonse.

"Yes, we are acquainted," he said flatly.

"Very interesting…" Alphonse cooed. "I am hopeful that this will not pose a problem for our agreement."

Illumi crossed his arms, "As professionals, we are certain there will be no problem."

Alphonse smiled, "Very well, then. 600 Million for each head in this room, aside from my men and myself. 900 Million for my daughter."

Natsumi's backed away. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

The two men walked up simultaneously from behind Illumi. One of them seemed old, with his small frame and hunched back. The other man, who had long white hair, seemed to be in his mid-forties, though very muscular and heavily built.

"900 Million?" he repeated, his voice very bold and authoritative. "For your daughter?"

Alphonse arched a brow and bent down, picking up Natsumi by her bad arm once more. She winced and yelped softly as he yanked her in front of him, as if to show her off to the three assassins.

"Ahh, Silva-san. You haven't met her? Yes, my beloved daughter. Cute, isn't she?" he smirked.

Natsumi shuddered at the tone of his voice. She looked up at the big man who seemed to only notice her presence when Alphonse had pointed her out. He looked familiar… Silva, Alphonse had said. Silva Zaoldyeck? Then he is Illumi and Killua's father. And the old man beside him… their grandfather, then?

"Illumi," Silva called out, though his eyes never left Natsumi.

"Father?" Illumi replied immediately, though his tone was still monotonous and revealed no feeling.

"You didn't tell me we were going to take care of a friend of yours," Silva spoke.

Natsumi shuddered by what he meant by "taking care" of her. She couldn't avert her eyes away from him. The stubborn Killua looked nothing like this man, save for hair color. Was this guy as big as Hisoka, or bigger? She kept staring at him, studying his face, analyzing what he was doing here. How could such hard and grave people have raised Killua?

"I didn't know about it either. Not that it makes any difference," Illumi shrugged. "Although I am now taken aback by how many people we are taking care of tonight. I am having a bad day today, and I just want to end this quickly."

Natsumi could feel her consciousness slipping away now. Her arm… it was throbbing with pain. It was spreading from her arm to her entire torso, all the way to her toes. But she couldn't pass out now. No! She couldn't take it! Was she going to be killed by Killua's family? Was this what Hisoka meant in the past, about her not knowing about Illumi's true identity?

They all seemed so cold and ruthless… Their very presence frightened her.

"Oh, Illumi-san," Alphonse sighed. "I'm paying you a lot. At least give me an entertaining act as the finale of this night. Show me something that will excite me! This world is much too bland and tasteless."

But Alphonse was being ignored as of the moment. Silva simply kept gazing at Natsumi. But it was fine, because she couldn't pull away from his penetrating gaze either.

"This tiny creature?" Silva spoke. "Can she even stand on her own feet? And Illumi, why does she look so familiar?"

Illumi crossed his arms, getting impatient.

"She is one of Kashmire Academy's greatest assets, Hasegawa Natsumi. She is the recipient of that scholarship we had given a few years back. She is also the object of Milluki's obsession."

Natsumi's cheeks involuntarily stained themselves pink when she heard the last line. But almost immediately, that was pushed aside. Almost automatically, she bowed down, despite the seething pain from her arm.

"I am eternally grateful for your support," she said.

Silva's brows raised in interest as a genuine smile flashed across his face.

"Father," Silva called out to the older man. "How much pain do you think she is in right now?"

The old man cleared his throat and walked forward. Natsumi's eyes widened in urgency and stretched out her good arm in warning.

"Stop! There is a wall of-!"

"I am not blind, girl," he chided, offended. "I can see."

Natsumi's face contorted into a confused expression. He could see the invisible wall? She turned her attention to Silva. He was right in front of the wall, as if he knew it was there without any warning. Could he see it, too? When Hisoka had tried to cross, he braced himself at the precise point where the wall was. And Nobunaga didn't just strike at the air randomly. He struck the wall, precisely. Could they all see it? She felt a sudden wave of uselessness. Just how incapable was she?

The old man crossed his arms and scanned Natsumi from head to toe. If this had been a normal day, she would have felt self-conscious and would have run away to a nearby bathroom in order to hide. But she couldn't do that right now, could she?

"Well," he began. "Considering she is a below average female with a weak build and fragile physique, as well as assessing the physical damage inflicted… I would say that she would be experiencing a level of 7 in terms of pain. However, that isn't taking into consideration her mental torment, which would probably escalate the level to 8 or 9.5. "

Silva's eyebrows rose once more.

"That high? It is only an arm."

"She is young and untrained. I am sure she is deathly close to losing consciousness at this very moment. As to her reasons for keeping awake, I do not know."

Silva smiled and rubbed his chin in thought.

"And yet she also bows down as proof of her genuine gratitude… Interesting."

"Don't talk about Natsumi as if she's some museum artifact!!!" Nobunaga's voice filled the room.

The three men turned. Nobunaga was behind them in a ready-to-attack position. He had an enraged expression etched on his hard face. His teeth and fists were clenched, and his eyes were wide in a treacherous way.

"I take you are a friend of hers?" the old man asked.

Nobunaga growled.

"You are not touching Natsumi! Illumi, Silva, and Zeno Zaoldyeck… over my dead body!"

Silva looked around this time, apparently noticing the people around him for the first time. He particularly glanced at the bloody Kurapika and the silent but tense Hisoka longer than the others. Then, he glanced at Natsumi once more.

"You seem to be an important person," Silva said flatly. "Is that why you are worth 900 Million?"

Natsumi was about to say some random thing to contradict him, but the sound of someone getting punched cut her trail of thoughts. Everyone glanced to the side.

Hisoka had his fist clenched mid-air, and Illumi had a bruise on his cheek.

"What are you doing, Illumi?" Hisoka asked, his voice hard and daunting.

Illumi touched the cheek where he had been hit, then glanced at Natsumi.

"Well, I was called here to kill somebody, which was good because I've been having a bad day. And then you're here, and the princess is here as well."

Hisoka raised his fist and hit Illumi once more.

"I've told you, no one is allowed to call her that but me."

Illumi sighed, as if Hisoka's punches were mosquito bites on his cheek – and even those seemed more noticeable.

"Of course, I apologize. You haven't forgiven me yet, have you?"

Hisoka turned his head and gazed at Natsumi, who seemed to be past her threshold of pain. He gritted his teeth.

"No, I have not."

Illumi sighed, and then turned to his father.

"Father, I owe this man. I apologize for bringing you here, but this mission is aborted. Any consequence you deem right, I will accept. Let us leave now."

Silva crossed his arms and nodded. "No. I am much too entertained as of the moment."

"HOLD ON!" Alphonse yelled. It was the first time he raised his voice. He had an ugly frown plastered on his face. He no longer looked handsome. He simply looked like a madman. He gripped onto Natsumi's hair tighter, and she tried not to whimper.

The Zaoldyecks simply stared at him, and Alphonse felt insulted.

"You cannot leave here without doing your job!"

Illumi turned to him.

"Is this another miscalculation of yours? Assassins do have friends, and assassins do have loyalty. And besides, that girl is too much of an asset to Kashmire Academy to waste."

Alphonse roared in rage.

"You cannot do this! Your reputation is at stake here! After I'm done with all of you, no one will hire you any longer!"

Illumi crossed his arms.

"Compared to our family, you are but a poor foot soldier. And I predict… she will be the one to defeat you tonight, on her own. All she needs is a little push," he said.

Alphonse's put on a disgusted face as he looked down at the girl he was dragging around.

"This girl? Defeat me? Ha! The only thing she is capable of doing is living a pathetic existence! She is the embodiment of human limitation! The capacity of her brain may exceed that of others, but she is still an insolent, pathetic, little fool who lives off others' pity!"

"_Human limitation…" _Natsumi thought again.

Illumi had no change of expression, but he continued speaking. He stared at Natsumi, who was now seconds away from passing out.

"You are Hisoka's princess, are you not? Many people have attempted to save you tonight. Is it not high time to attempt to save yourself this time around?"

Natsumi raised her head ever so slightly. She looked into Illumi's eyes… those blank pools of nothingness.

"If you happen to save yourself tonight through my encouragement, then please use your talent to convince Hisoka to forgive me."

'_Save… myself…?' _Natsumi thought. _'I've never… thought about saving myself… for once. For Hisoka…'_

Natsumi opened her mouth to speak, but Alphonse suddenly roared in rage. Why was he suddenly acting so threatened? He had such a haughty demeanor earlier… what happened? Or does the presence of the Zaoldyeck family have this effect on a person?

"You think she can save herself? She can't even walk without assistance! I've had enough. I was wrong to think that I could rely on these fools! Friends and loyalty? Those thoughts are, once again, human limitations that will get you nowhere! And I thought the infamous Zaoldyecks would understand that!"

With one swift motion, he threw her forward. She hit the barrier and screamed out an ear-piercing scream. Her body stretched out like she was being crucified, but she couldn't move. Every single nerve in her body was going haywire! The searing pain… it was unbearable! Her fractured arm was nothing in comparison to this. She couldn't breathe… Her lungs wouldn't expand. It felt like her entire body was experiencing muscle cramps from her toes to her neck. Why was this happening to her?

And yet… as she would've guessed, her brain wouldn't stop functioning, even when the current running through it had paralyzed her entire body. She could still hear everything around her, aside from her screams, that is.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Nobunaga yelled. Zeno, the old man, held him in place.

'_Nobunaga…my friend…'_

Silva simply held his arms up on either side, and the Genei Ryodan followed his authority for some reason.

"Let her feel this pain. She will come up with-"

"MY PRINCESS!!!"

Hisoka was erratic. Illumi had pinned him down on the wall, and Hisoka would occasionally land a punch on him and run to her, but Illumi wasn't easy to get past.

"I will never forgive you, Illumi! My princess, I am coming for you!!!"

'_Hisoka… my knight…'_

She could hear Alphonse's laughter in the background. Why did he want her to die anyway? He spent 18 years doing heinous crimes to get her attention and to find her… just to kill her in the end? Not that she imagined a happy reunion, with a smiley Natsumi running excitedly into her Papa's arms. But seriously, why did he want to kill her? Was she such a pest in society?

"My princess!" Hisoka was losing it.

That's right. She was somebody's princess. She suddenly felt a different kind of pain in her chest. Or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her. Her entire body was in pain, after all. Well, it was fun while it lasted, right? Well, not really. Living a poor and deprived life wasn't such a happy endeavor.

Exactly how long has the current been running through her body anyway? Shouldn't she be burning and dying now? Maybe the pain just amplified the time that had past. Maybe, all this time spent thinking about death fit in just half a second. After all, she's read a lot about unexplainable mental experiences described by people who have nearly died. Except, she wouldn't be one of those lucky ones who had near-death experiences. She would be one of those who just died… like those unidentified bodies in the morgue that no one wanted to claim.

"My princess!"

Except that… she was different, right? Someone, at least one person, should _want_ to claim her… She hoped so. Okay, well that's that. Cremated, please. She always hated viewing dead people. Why should she want the same thing for herself?

"Princess!!!"

Oh, Hisoka. So persistent, isn't he? After lying to her so many times, after deceiving her, and after playing with her… Is he not tired? Hasn't she lost her novelty yet?

"My princess!!! Keep awake! Do you not want your present?!"

Her present? Oh, right. It was her birthday. How cute. Dying of electrocution on her 18th birthday… How dramatic. She could imagine the headlines now. Of course, her schoolmates would be shocked. Hasegawa Natsumi? The cool, model student of Kashmire Academy… died?

'Well, of course,' Natsumi thought to herself. 'I'm only human…'

STOP. REWIND. PLAY.

Natsumi's eyes snapped open.

'_I am only human…' _she repeated in her head._ 'That is why I have many human limitations. Hisoka is also human… he has human limitations. Kurapika and Nobunaga…they are human… and they also have human limitations… Therefore…'_

"ALPHONSE!" she shouted.

Natsumi didn't know where or how she found the strength or energy to move within the painful, piercing electricity, but she could. Was this what they called willpower? Wow, she's never had that before. But setting aside all thoughts, she turned around and glared at the laughing man behind her. He stopped his enjoyment when he realized she was staring at him. His eyes widened in fear as she slowly walked towards him, the flow of electricity attracted by her conductivity.

Tears formed and fell off her cheeks, and the electricity flowed through them happily.

"This… hurts…" she murmured. "Do you… want to know…. how… painful this… is?"

Alphonse slowly backed away, beads of sweat rolling down his face and neck.

"You… What… What are you!? You cannot do this! You are not like them! You are weak! What the hell are you?!"

She started to take in shallow breaths now… This was impossible, being in electricity and not burning like she's supposed to. It was abnormal. But the world she once knew no longer exists. This world of abnormality and incredibility… This was the real world.

"What… am… I?" she coughed out blood, and then smirked. "I… am… human…"

She quickly grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer to her… closer to the current.

"And… you know what…?" she grinned widely. "So are you."

* * *

_All this time_

_I was the answer_

_My own pain, my own life_

_A one-way ticket to your downfall_

* * *

Alphonse's eyes widened as she grabbed him tighter and jumped backwards, towards the invisible wall that induced pain and suffering. It hurt… it hurt so bad, this self-inflicted torture. But it was good… because then she knew what Alphonse was feeling right now as well.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!"

Alphonse screamed, shouted, pleaded… He's never felt this much pain in his entire life. It was as if he was tossed in a huge pit of fire. He couldn't see; he couldn't hear anything but his own screaming. He couldn't think of anything but the pain. He wanted death right then. How could his daughter not be screaming alongside him? How could Hisoka have felt this pain over and over again, trying to cross it in order to get to Natsumi? How could any of his men have endured this when he ordered them to? Why couldn't he do the same thing?

"Heh…" Natsumi grinned, still holding on to Alphonse, as if embracing him, as they suffered together. "I… am… so much… stronger… than you are... How… does it feel… knowing that… you… have human limitations… as well?"

Alphonse opened his mouth to yell out an order, though it took him ten seconds to even find the right brain neuron to make him speak. He gritted his teeth.

"DIS-DIS-- DISENGAGE!!!"

As soon as he gave the order, the electricity faded away, and the father and daughter fell to the ground.

"Princess!!!" Hisoka ran to her as Illumi finally let him go.

Alphonse lay on top of her, unable to move, his eyes open and unmoving. Hisoka grabbed him and threw him to the wall, perhaps stronger than he intended. His hands twitched above her face and torso, wanting to touch her, but not knowing what to do.

"My princess…" he merely whispered.

Natsumi was in the brink of passing out, but hearing Hisoka's voice kept her at bay. She opened her eyes and looked at him, though it took her a while to really focus and see him. He was crouched over her, but not touching her. She smiled and shook her head.

"Just like that time I choked on water… and fell off the couch… or hurt myself… You never knew what to do."

"I am infinitely remorseful for my incapability…" he murmured.

She tried to move and attempted to sit up, but the extreme pain in her body forced her to fall back down. Hisoka caught her before she could hit her head. He took a good look at her frail body.

"Oh, princess… it must be so painful…" he said, bringing her to his chest in a gentle embrace.

"I am not yet done… with him…" Natsumi spoke, pushing Hisoka away. "Let me go… I will finish him off."

Hisoka let her go as she shakily stood up. Where was she getting this power from? She was weak, wasn't she?

"Alphonse…" she croaked. She coughed a bit, splattering out blood from her mouth. "Oh, damn it…" she sighed. "Internal bleeding…"

Machi walked up to her.

"I'll fix you. Come here," she said.

"Not now…" Natsumi urged on, dragging her legs to Alphonse.

Her father was sprawled on the ground, squirming every now and then from the pain he was still feeling. Tears flowed down her eyes for the thousandth time that night.

"Father," she spoke, her voice much different from before… colder and more calculating. "Wake up, father… Look, no one is taking care of you. Alone, aren't you?"

"Natsumi…" Kurapika walked over to her and held her hand. "Whatever you are planning… stop."

Natsumi frowned. "Kurapika… Nobunaga… Hisoka… my mother… and myself. He has caused too much. I am not stopping."

Illumi turned around to leave, but Silva blocked his path.

"Do you not want to see how a pure soul is tainted by revenge?" Silva asked.

Illumi shrugged. "She isn't going to kill him, father. This is a battle of cognition… something I am not interested in."

"Let's play a game, father," Natsumi said. "A game of comparison. Shall we begin?"

Alphonse grunted and sat up without help. He glared at her and grinned.

"Do you want to further embarrass yourself?" he asked shakily, wiping blood from his mouth.

Natsumi ignored him and asked the first question.

"7x7 Rubik's Cube, blindfolded… Time?" she asked.

"27 seconds…" he replied, grinning. "Yours?"

"22 seconds," she challenged. Alphonse's eyes widened as he frowned. Natsumi continued. "Weschler's Scale. Digit Span?"

"15 digits, plus or minus 2," he said, grinning again, thinking he wouldn't lose. "And yours?"

"19 digits, plus or minus 1," she replied confidently. "Block Design, scaled score 17?"

"21…" Alphonse murmured, afraid of getting beaten again.

"Mine is 25," Natsumi smiled again. "Picture completion, scaled score 8?"

"12!" Alphonse yelled.

"I got 14," she replied. "Shall we continue?"

Alphonse frowned, but then grinned a final time. "Do you know of the High IQ Society, my daughter? I belong to the Prometheus Sub-Society… And you?"

Natsumi arched a brow. "Proud of being a Prometheus? 3 out of 100,000, after all, is a gift… Interesting, because I belong to the Eximia Sub-Society, 1 out of 100,000. Beaten again, father."

Alphonse couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was he really defeated? No! This was not possible! He tried to stand up, but he couldn't even think straight anymore. How could this low-life, pathetic, teenage girl beat him at everything he knew? It was impossible!

He laughed out loud, his face contorting in a scary sort of way.

"You will never defeat me, woman! Kill her! Kill her!"

But none of his men had moved. He turned to them. "What are you doing, you imbeciles?! Kill her!!!"

The room remained quiet. The Zaoldyeck family of assassins had finally left the room.

"Are you afraid I'm going to do the same to you?" Natsumi asked, turning her attention to the quivering men. "I've defeated your master. Shall I ask my friends to finish you off? Especially you, who gave me this injury?"

She glanced at one of the men who had fractured her arm. He shook madly as he backed away, afraid of her deadly gaze and cold voice.

"Run away, or I may find myself unforgiving for what you have contributed to the bruises on my angelic knight's body."

In a split second, the men ran out of the room, shaking and quivering in fear. Natsumi slumped forward, slowly losing her consciousness.

What was she saying? This didn't sound like her at all! Why was she so… cruel? She glanced at the man on the ground, who was beginning to seem more delusional than simply defeated.

Hisoka stretched his arms out, and Natsumi walked over to him, but Kurapika ran past the jester and brought Natsumi into his arms.

"Natsumi…" he said, holding her tightly. "Natsumi…"

Natsumi gazed at Hisoka, who idly watched Kurapika take her in his arms.

"What… have I done? What… was I saying? Why am I so cruel?"

More tears streamed down.

"You did what you needed to do. But you are safe now. You are with me. You are safe."

_

* * *

I am reaching out_

_Trying to get a hold of you_

_Why are you so far away_

_When you seem so near?_

* * *

They were all in the lobby now. One of Natsumi's assigned bodyguards held on to her as she shakily walked out of the mansion. There were multiple black cars in the driveway that Natsumi deemed familiar. They were government vehicles. One of them had Alphonse inside. Another car pulled up in front of her and the window of the passenger's seat opened downwards. Kurapika was inside.

"Let's go, Natsumi," he said.

Natsumi's face immediately darkened with sadness. She turned around. The Genei Ryodan was still there. Her bodyguard gently pulled her towards the car, but she refused to move.

"Natsumi-san, let us go. Kurapika-san is waiting," he said. She looked down.

"I don't want to go…" she said.

"We have to get you to the hospital, Natsumi," Kurapika said, irritated with her stubborn attitude. "We're leaving."

"I don't want to go!" she yelled, pushing her bodyguard aside. Without him holding on to her, she fell to the floor. Hisoka appeared beside her and helped her up.

"Princess," he smiled. "So stubborn. Are you not hurting? Would you like me to plant kisses of affection on your wounds?"

She smiled. "I see you've regained your overly dramatic façade."

He grinned and tilted her chin up, leaning closer.

"But of course. The crisis is over, is it not? And might I add… I have yet to give you my present."

Natsumi blushed as she tried to pull away. But Hisoka wasn't as abiding this time. He held on to her as she burned red even more.

"I don't want a present…" she pouted.

"Hmm?" he said playfully. "What do you want then?"

She pursed her lips and glanced downwards, embarrassed. Hisoka raised his brows in a mischievous expression.

"Ohh… You want ME?" he grinned wickedly.

"No! You egocentric clown!" she yelled, attempting to get away a second time. He still wouldn't let go.

"Oh my. But your body language says otherwise, hmm? I suppose you can't help it if you are obsessed with me now, as I am with you."

Natsumi put on a disgusted look, "Obsessed! That's over the top! You're such a freak, Hisoka!"

He stopped then, his face turning serious. He embraced her again.

"When you say my name… it's just so… beautiful."

Natsumi's heart raced as his big hand caressed her body downwards, from her hair to her lower back. She closed her eyes.

"Hisoka…" she said again. She could feel his body heat up a few degrees more. So was he finally speaking the truth? After all, he always criticized her body language. Maybe he couldn't hide the truth if his body said otherwise.

And there it was again… that feeling at the base of her head. Seriously! What was her brain telling her?

"My present to you… My princess…" he said.

He pulled himself away from the embrace as he gazed into her eyes. He put his hand to his mouth, smiling.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to hide the fact that she was excited.

But his face was no longer the same. It turned grave… He had a pained look, as if he was giving a valuable part of him away. He removed his hand from his mouth and leaned in.

"My present… it is… your safety from me… and from what I am…"

He pressed his lips against hers as he greedily forced himself on her. Pushing her against the car, he forced something into her mouth as she stood shocked and dazed as to what he was doing. Everyone couldn't comprehend what was going on. Nobunaga's jaw dropped as he watched on.

Had Hisoka finally let his self-control go, and to an injured and fragile Natsumi too? But Natsumi didn't seem to care anymore, as she wrapped her arms around the man who had made her experience hell and heaven at the same time.

Hisoka finally drew back and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Natsumi simply stood there, in a half-drunk, passive manner, still trying to understand what had just happened.

"Safety? From you?" she asked, touching her lips. Then, her eyes widened in understanding.

"What… what did you do to me?!" she yelled.

Hisoka glanced at her, the saddest expression on his face. She felt her throat. She swallowed something… like a pill, without even realizing it. What did he do to her?

"Hisoka!" she shouted, crying now. "What did you do?!"

She cried loudly, wiping the tears that didn't cease to come.

"Your memory of me… of this…" he said quietly. "It will be gone… for your own good.

"No! This is the worst present ever! I want to be with you! I hate this!" she shouted.

She ran to him and pounded on his chest. He let her hit him.

"Princess, I will be with you forever," he whispered.

"Then why?! Why do you want me to forget about you?! Kurapika, tell him no!"

She turned to the young man in the car, but he looked away. Her eyes widened.

"You knew about this?" she asked in disbelief. "Why?!"

Kurapika gritted his teeth.

"He told me why… And he is right, Natsumi. With him around you, trouble will always follow. You are not safe with him… And so it will be better for you if he no longer existed in your world."

More tears fell down.

"No… I am safe with him, with you, with everyone! I belong in this world! I hate you! I hate you, Kurapika! Why do you always keep him away?! I hate you! No wonder Nobunaga wants you dead!" she yelled. She ran to Nobunaga.

"You can kill him now! You can! You have my permission!" she shouted.

Nobunaga dropped his sword and embraced her.

"I wanted you to say it yourself… But I won't. You don't know what you're saying right now because of what Hisoka had given you. You are slowly losing the friendship you feel towards the Kuruta boy. You are slowly losing him… slowly forgetting who he is. That's why it's so easy to say right now…"

"No!"

Her head suddenly throbbed in pain and she fell to the floor, screaming. Hisoka walked over to her and knelt down, cradling her in his arms.

"Whatever you did, it won't work… This hurts too much for it to work…" she whispered, holding on to her chest, where her heart was beating the strongest. "It is impossible to lose my memories of you because I-"

And then she went silent. Her eye drooped down, as if just having woken up.

"Hisoka…" she murmured.

"Princess…" he closed his eyes. There were no tears. But the pain… it was unbearable.

And she collapsed, unconscious.

* * *

End of chapter!

How was that? I hope I got most, if not all, things right… because I was writing it hastily, in an attempt to get back to studying. Please review! I am really eager to hear what you think about this chapter, and what you think is going to happen next!!!

Spring break is next week, so expect the next chapter soon!


	14. Silent Mayhem

Hello, there! Here is the latest installment of "You Disrupt Me!" I tried my best to get in the mood in writing this, since you really don't want to be sitting down and writing when you can go out and have fun, especially with the weather now!

Okay, enough of my babbling. I think I might be able to write another chapter before the end of spring break. So yeah!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi and stuff about her.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 13: Silent Mayhem**

**

* * *

**_What is this? I'm breathing, but it's as if I don't need to. There isn't any air in here. Shouldn't I be suffocating? I feel like I'm floating… like there's no ground beneath me. It's as if I'm stored in a glass box, like a fragile ceramic figurine… and yet I don't feel the walls around me. Are my eyes closed, or are they open? Does it even matter? All I see is darkness. And all I can hear are the voices around me, except for my own. I can't hear myself…_

* * *

Natsumi opened her eyes slowly, but bright sunlight pierced into her eyes, and she closed them again. She instinctively drew her arm up and covered her eyes, but even the lifting of her arm was painful. She gritted her teeth in order not to utter a sound. Why did it hurt to do that?

"Oww…" she murmured.

Almost immediately, she felt the bed move, as if someone had jumped on it beside her.

"My baby! Natsumi!"

That was her mother's voice.

"Mom…?" she spoke, her voice croaky. That didn't sound right. She knew that her voice usually echoed hoarsely after having just woken up. But today was different. It was as if her voice box hadn't had any activity for days.

"You're awake! Thank goodness! Oh, my baby! Mommy was so worried about you! Don't you ever do that again, you hear? Goodness!"

Natsumi shook her head to wake herself up a bit more. What was going on? Her body hurt like gang members had repeatedly beaten her up. Her arms, legs, and torso felt sore. Her head wasn't excluded. It felt like a baseball player had batted her head like a target. What was going on? And what was her mother prattling about? She was about to protest, but another voice soon made itself known.

"Hasegawa-san, please give her some space. I am sure she is quite disoriented right now."

That was a man's voice – and an authoritative one at that. She felt someone pull her mother off her. Natsumi closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to get used to the bright light. Then, opening her eyes, she looked around. She was in a room – a big room – with white walls, a flat screen TV that was on mute, and various machinery beside her that made inaudible beeping sounds. She smelled the stench of antiseptic. A hospital? She was about to speak, but the man, whom she ignored earlier, interrupted her once more.

"Natsumi-san, how are you feeling?"

She glanced at the man who stood beside her bed. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, though she suspected that it wasn't his real eye color. He wore a white coat – a doctor's coat. He had a stethoscope around his neck. His hands… they had multiple rings on them, connected together with metallic chains. What? She glanced back up at his face. There was genuine concern in his eyes as he stared at her. He had a disconcerted expression, as if she had caused it.

"I… I'm feeling okay," she lied. She glanced away, feeling the discomfort from being stared at for too long.

"Oh, my baby!" her mother dramatically shouted. "I am so glad you are finally awake! Doctor Kei here said you should've woken up days ago, but you weren't waking up! So I was really worried! And-"

"Days ago? What's going on?" she hid the panic in her voice, sensing how worried her mother was.

"Natsumi-san," the doctor replied instead and took her hand to calm her down. She flinched and pulled away. The metal from his hands were cold and uninviting. She couldn't look at this doctor anymore… He seemed too… involved. For some reason, she could feel the hurt he felt from retracting from his kind gesture.

He cleared his throat.

"Natsumi-san," he said again, his voice alien but comforting. "Please listen to me. I know you are confused right now, but please, calm down for a moment. If your blood pressure skyrockets, you are in risk of relapsing into a coma."

Natsumi held her aching head in her hands.

"I was in a coma…?" she asked.

'_I don't remember anything…' _she said in her head.

"Yes," the doctor said, his voice reflecting that he knew she had calmed down quite a bit. "You were in a coma for a few days. The exact reason for your coma is… unknown. But we suspect that it is because you overworked yourself after too much stress upon taking your exams."

Natsumi then glanced at the doctor, which she regretted. He looked so intense as he gazed into her eyes. She didn't know doctors could be so depressing to talk to! His hand twitched, and she noticed. He was a strange one. But his words suddenly kicked in.

'_AFTER taking my EXAMS?!_' she thought. '_But I don't remember taking my exams!'_

She kept her face straight.

"What is today's date?" she asked, trying to make sense of things.

"It's the 28th, my dear," her mother replied. "I heard that you did well! Your teachers told me that you have the highest scores in your entire class!"

Natsumi sighed.

'_But I don't remember taking them…' _she thought. Her mind would not rest.

The doctor seemed to sense and understand what she was thinking.

"Memory loss is usually one of the results of a nervous breakdown," he said firmly, as if trying to convince himself. "Please keep your mind at ease for now. It's the best you can do for yourself and your overworked nervous system."

Natsumi gazed at him again.

'_He looks a bit too young to be a doctor. Is he one of those geniuses that get their PhD's at their teen years?'_ she thought.

"I…" he said suddenly and hesitatingly. "I am Doctor Kei. I am your assigned physician."

Yep, he was definitely one of those awkward geniuses. Who introduces themselves a few minutes _after_ the conversation started? She didn't know there were good-looking eccentrics, too! But she smiled at him.

"Thank you for looking after me. I hope my mom wasn't too much trouble," she apologized.

There was such sadness etched on his face. Hard lines accentuated themselves on his forehead. He seemed to be in greater pain than she was in. What was wrong with him?

"No, not at all," he replied, trying his best to smile. "She is a mother, first and foremost. You are lucky to have her."

Natsumi beamed at him again, and she noticed how he slightly flinched at her happy gesture. She looked away.

"Which hospital are we in?" she asked.

"York Shin General," he replied.

There was a moment of silence… that was soon broken by Natsumi's shriek of terror.

"WHAT?!" she yelled, getting up. She was in mind-numbing pain, sure, but she kept walking. "Mom! Why did you take me here? It's expensive here! We can't afford this! Oh, goodness! I'll have to work so many hours to cover the bill! I can't believe this! Maybe I'll have to work a second job and-"

"Oh! We've got it covered, my darling!" her mother suddenly piped in.

Natsumi paused and looked at her incredulously.

"Who do you mean by 'we,' mom?" she asked.

But before her mother could reply, Natsumi's body felt a sudden surge of weakness and she felt herself falling down. But in an instant, the doctor had caught her in his arms before she could even touch the ground.

"I got you," he whispered.

She silently gasped. He had his arms around her in a protective stance, like he'd done it before. She suddenly pushed him away and sat on the bed for support. She shivered. He straightened himself, but she could see that he had his fist clenched tightly, like he was mad. Was he having such a bad day?

"We're rich now!" her mother said, deeming that single statement sufficient to elucidate the situation.

"Please explain, mom," she diverted her attention from the doctor. "Please tell me you didn't buy another lottery ticket. I've told you before, you have to wait until they announce the winning numbers! You don't automatically win after just buying one…"

Natsumi set her elbows on her knees and rested her face on her hands, like she had been beaten at a game she thought she was good at. She sighed.

"I can't believe this…" she sighed.

The doctor suddenly kneeled in front of her and took her hands.

"Your mom is speaking the truth," he said as he gazed at her. "I don't wish to explain everything right now. If I do, then your brain will be in too much shock because of too much information."

"I won't be at ease if you don't explain everything right now, doctor," she retorted. "Please. Whatever it is, just tell me now."

He looked at her with that same saddened face. What was wrong with him, really? Simply seeing him so sad made her feel sad as well. But he was too close for comfort. She leaned and pulled away from him again.

"Alright then," he said, standing and walking a few feet away from her. "I will explain the matter at hand."

* * *

_I can feel something missing._

_It has been taken away from me, by force._

_And yet I do not know what it is._

_What am I to do now?_

_

* * *

_

Natsumi held her head again, the pain coming in stronger waves this time.

"Natsumi-san?" the doctor spoke. "Is it hurting again?"

"Don't worry," she said, avoiding the question. "Hold on…"

She waited a few seconds for the wave to disappear. It did soon enough, and she sighed. She glanced at her mother, who had that permanent innocent smile on her face. Then she glanced at her pale feet.

"So… let me get this straight," she said sourly. "My _father_, whom I've never met or even thought about, is a criminal. He has been recently imprisoned, _for life_, and so the legal faction of his finances was given to… my mother and I, by his _choice._ And so we are now considered to be in the top 20 wealthiest in York Shin. Is that right? If this is a cruel joke, Doctor Kei, then please inform me now. I might still find it in my heart to laugh and forgive you."

But his face was serious.

"It is the truth, Natsumi… san."

"Aren't you happy, my dear?" her mother skipped her way beside her. "You and I no longer have to work!"

Natsumi shook her head.

'_There are many inconsistencies!' _she argued in her head._ 'First of all, how would my father even know that I existed? And even if he did know about me… why is it that, after 18 years, the first two people he can think of to give his wealth to is… me and mom? It doesn't add up. I am very sure he's had better, more reliable, and loyal acquaintances in that time that he could entrust his funds to.'_

Doctor Kei set his hand on her head.

"Please, Natsumi-san," he pleaded, as if knowing she was thinking. "This is the very reason I didn't want to explain things to you right now. You aren't mentally fit as of right now."

Natsumi wanted to slap his hand away, but she knew better than to disrespect authority, even if he _did_ look only a few years older than she was. She gave him a small smile.

"Please don't question my mental fitness. I am aware of my own limitations."

He suddenly gave her a relentless look, as if remembering something grave. He took his hand away from her head and turned around.

"Very well," he suddenly said. "You may reflect on this newly acquired information until I deem you fit enough to be discharged."

Natsumi frowned.

"I would like to go home now," she said. "I have to go back to school."

"Unfortunately, that isn't possible," he replied. "There are a few tests that we still need to conduct."

Natsumi clenched her fist.

"Okay," she said, completely against her will.

"KNOCK, KNOCK!"

The door suddenly burst open and a delivery boy pranced in, a bouquet of pale pink roses in his arms. He had red-orange hair and ivory white skin, although his green jumpsuit covered his entire body, save for his face and hands. His nametag said, "Knight."

He wore a blue baseball cap that partially concealed his face, but Natsumi could see his wide, inviting grin.

"Hello, there!" he greeted cheerfully, looking around.

Natsumi didn't know if she was thinking too much, but it seemed that as he looked around, he glanced at her half a second longer than the others. Doctor Kei didn't seem to be pleased at all. Hell, it was as if his day simply got worse. The two stared at each other as if their mere expressions said enough.

"Delivery for a Miss Hasegawa!" he stretched out the bouquet.

Natsumi's heart suddenly began beating rapidly. A bouquet of flowers? For her?

"Oh, my!" her mother jumped. "Flowers for my baby girl?! Whoever from?"

The delivery boy grinned again, and Natsumi's heart stopped. His smile… it was beautiful. But she couldn't say anything. She was too confused.

"Oh!" he replied. "It is from Mr. Anonymous!"

Natsumi's mom took the flowers, and the delivery boy handed it out to her as he bowed down.

"They're absolutely gorgeous! Natsumi, is Anonymous-san a classmate of yours?"

"Huh?"

It took Natsumi a few seconds to realize that her mother probably believed that "Anonymous" was a real name. She sighed.

"No, mom. I don't know who he is."

Her mother gasped.

"Ooh! A secret admirer, then! Oh, you hunk magnet, you! Actually, Milluki-san has visited you twice already. But you were asleep, so he couldn't get to talk to you."

Natsumi's eye twitched. The delivery boy suddenly tensed up as his brow arched.

"Another admirer?" he asked, teasing, though there was a hint of something else that Natsumi couldn't point out. "Oh, Mr. Anonymous would not like that."

Natsumi looked away, embarrassed.

'_What an annoying person.'_

There was a long moment of silence, and she looked up. He was still there, staring at her. Well, she thought he was staring at her, because his eyes were hidden under that cap of his. He was turned her way, though. She assumed he _was_ looking at her.

"Well… thank you for safely delivering these to me…" she said, reaching for the flowers from her mother. "They are… very beautiful."

And she meant it. Whoever this Mr. Anonymous was, he knew that she loved things that were pink. And this particular shade of pink was perfect. It was a soft, pastel color… She blushed, thinking of whoever it could be.

And he was still there, standing idly. She couldn't see him completely, because he stood far away, closer to the door. But was he shaking?

"Unrelated guests aren't allowed here for long periods of time, sir," Doctor Kei suddenly blurted out. "Allow me to escort you to the exit."

The two men left the room, leaving Natsumi and her mother alone. Natsumi stared at the flowers, and then embraced them. She closed her eyes, breathing in the natural fragrance.

"Honey?" her mother cooed. "I thought you hated flowers."

Natsumi opened her eyes, looking blankly at her mother.

"I do," she replied, and looked at the flowers. "But… these are nice, don't you think?"

* * *

_Really, am I alive?_

_The only time I believe I am_

_Is when I feel my heart hasten its beats_

_Whenever I see you_

* * *

"What are you doing here, Hisoka?!" Kurapika shouted, completely enraged.

The jester sat on the edge of the building. They were on the hospital's rooftop, where no one usually had access. Kurapika wanted to kick him off the ledge and watch him plummet to his death.

"Nope, my name is Knight!" Hisoka grinned.

"Enough of this foolishness!" Kurapika yelled again. "You… you promised you wouldn't come…"

"Hmm… And so?"

"You broke your promise! I would understand that you broke your promise to _me_ that you would never see her. But you promised _her._ You promised her that you would no longer be close enough for her to even see you."

"Yes, I did promise that."

Kurapika frowned. "Then what are you doing here?!"

It was silent for a moment. Then Hisoka spoke, his tone serious.

"She was asleep when I promised her. It doesn't count. And besides…" his voice softened. "Did you really believe, for one second, that I would be able to fulfill that promise? To keep away from my princess?"

Kurapika frowned and looked down.

"No… I didn't. But…" he trailed off.

"Hmm…?" Hisoka turned around.

"I didn't believe that you would give her the drug, but you went through with it anyway. So I thought you would also keep your promise."

Hisoka grinned. "You are not alone, _doctor,_" he said mockingly. "I thought I would keep it as well. However… it was more difficult than I would have ever imagined. It is almost funny! It's as if I'm experiencing withdrawal symptoms! The pain is unbelievable."

Kurapika arched a brow, "The pain?"

Hisoka's grin faded to a slight smile.

"Right here," he said, patting his chest.

Kurapika looked at him severely, but said nothing.

"What?" Hisoka asked, curious.

Kurapika gritted his teeth. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to cry out. There was too much frustration. How could Hisoka be smiling, grinning, or laughing?

"She's… different… now" Kurapika finally said, tears stinging his eyes.

Hisoka's brows rose as he watched the young man fight the pain.

"The way she looked at me…" Kurapika continued. "She didn't know who I was. After treating her mother and everybody else with the drug, and seeing how she didn't remember who I was, I thought I would feel the same detachment with Natsumi. But this morning… when she looked at me as if I was a stranger… She's different…"

Hisoka sighed, as if tired of drama.

"Well, of course she is," he chirped. "This is the Natsumi before everything. Keeping her thoughts to herself, making everyone but herself happy, being too formal with strangers. She's plain and boring."

Kurapika glared at the clown and marched towards him, grabbing him and pushing him towards the edge of the building.

"Figures you could change as easily as the weather changes!" he yelled. "Natsumi is a friend that I love and deeply care for. But to you, she is just a passing fancy. She said so herself, didn't she?"

And for the first time, Hisoka's face contorted to that of mixed deep rage and pain. He grabbed Kurapika's wrist and pushed him to the ledge. He was shaking, almost like he was shivering from the cold draft of wind. His scowl deepened.

"A passing fancy, you say?" Hisoka roared. "I could snatch a woman and get all the satisfaction I want, but I would still be pleading to hear the voice of my princess! I could kill myself right now, but my soul would still be yearning for her! I could lose my strength and my abilities… but I would be the most powerful man solely with my princess by my side! So a passing fancy, you say? Not in the slightest. Throw every insult you may muster at me, and I will remain unperturbed. But question my devotion, and a cadaver I will make of you."

Kurapika couldn't utter a sound as Hisoka roughly let him go.

"You have no idea as to how much I envy you…" Hisoka whispered. "You… are able to speak to her as you wish. And yet I remain as far away from her as possible."

"It is the price you must pay…" Kurapika trailed off. "It is the price we _all_ must pay. And yet I wonder… perhaps you are not that far away…"

Hisoka glanced at the contemplating hunter, "Are you babbling again?"

Kurapika looked away.

"No," he replied. "I was just thinking…"

---

Natsumi walked through the halls of her school, a blank expression on her face. It was around 7 AM, an hour before class began. She entered her classroom and set her backpack down. The room was still empty. Apparently, being driven to school was so much faster than walking; she didn't have much time to think. She had wanted to walk, but her mother insisted that the newly hired chauffer would take her, especially since she'd only been discharged from the hospital yesterday. Doctor Kei didn't seem too keen on letting her go to school this early in the "healing process," and maybe he was right. Her body was just much too painful. And besides…

She lifted her shirt and stared at her stomach. There was a thin line that ran across diagonally, from her right lower rib down to her left pelvic area. It was an infinitesimal scar, almost invisible. And yet she was able to see it when she passed by the bathroom mirror after taking a shower. Where did it come from? She knew very well that comatose patients weren't opened up and probed internally.

But that wasn't the only thing that didn't add up. She dropped her head on the table.

'_Whenever I ask Doctor Kei how long I've been asleep,'_ she mused. '_He would only vaguely reply that it's been a few days. And yet the gap between the date of my exams and the date of my awakening… spans two whole weeks. I'm not allowed to see any of my own charts, results, or my diagnosis either. And the deal with my father… I just don't understand.'_

She closed her eyes and sighed.

'_And besides… Doctor Kei mustn't be just an ordinary doctor. He seems more involved in my personal life than he lets on. I mean… why would he, of all people, be the one to tell me about the news regarding my father, as well as everything else? Isn't that the government's job? Or… a social worker, at least? I mean, I'm just fresh out of minor status after all.'_

"Hey, Natsumi!"

She opened her eyes again and sat straight, looking around. The group of impish girls entered the room, giggling and strutting sexily towards her. She looked around, but she was the only person in the room named "Natsumi." When did they ever start talking to her?

"What's up?" the known leader of the group sat on the desk in front of her, and the rest of the girls surrounded her on every side.

"N-nothing…" she replied. She could feel her cheeks heating up now. "How about you?"

The girl next to the leader sighed dramatically.

"Oh, this day started out terribly!" she complained.

Natsumi blinked. "Yeah? How so?"

"Well," another continued. "All of us, including the boys, were asked to come to school early!"

"Yeah," yet another one said. "Can you believe we had to be here at 6 o'clock?!"

Natsumi attempted to stop her eye from twitching. "Wow, that's… pretty intense," she tried to sound convincing. She was usually here at that time, save for today, because she had spent over an hour arguing with her mother whether to walk or to take the car - a battle that she ultimately lost.

"It was mandatory," one of them said. "Didn't you have to go too, Natsumi?"

"Huh? Me?" she asked, confused as to how the conversation was thrown back to her. "Uhh… I guess not."

"Aww, you're lucky!"

"Extremely lucky!"

"The vitamin wasn't that bad."

"Yeah, it tasted kind of sweet!"

"I want another one!"

"Silly! If you have more than one vitamin a day, you're gonna grow horns!"

"What? Really?!"

"Well, that's what my mom used to say."

Natsumi's head began to ache. Being around such girls was too much a chore.

"Vitamins?" Natsumi asked, trying to make sense of their conversation. If she understood more of what they were saying, then maybe her head wouldn't hurt as much.

"Yup!" one of them, she wasn't sure who, replied. "The doctor told us to take some vitamins. She said it was a new part of the school's health program."

"I see…" Natsumi said.

"Well, I think it's because our exams are coming up," the leader of the group prattled on. "Vitamins are always good during times of stress!"

The world stopped. Natsumi set her eyes on the leader of the group.

"What did you say just now?" she asked hurriedly.

The girl arched a brow, finding her sudden change of mood a weird thing.

"Vitamins are good when you're stressed! But then I know why they didn't ask you to come! It's because you're just so absolutely cool, Natsumi! You're the type who gets awesome grades and yet you don't get stressed!"

Natsumi wanted to retort, but she couldn't get sidetracked.

"No," she said. "What did you say before that?"

"Hmm?" the girl glanced at her nails, getting tired of the conversation. "Nothing."

Natsumi clenched her fist. _Cool it,_ she thought. She usually didn't get so worked up easily. What was wrong with her?

"I think you said… our exams are coming up," Natsumi pressed on.

"Oh? Yeah, I said that," the leader perked up again.

Natsumi turned and pointed at the calendar.

"But we took it two and a half weeks ago, didn't we? That's what they said to me… the reason I went into a coma, I mean… because of stress."

The girls shrieked and gasped.

"What?! Natsumi?! You were in a coma??"

"Oh, you poor thing!"

"I didn't hear about it!"

Natsumi faked a smile.

'_They really don't think, do they? But then, they don't remember either. So then…'_ she looked at the calendar again. _'It isn't just me…'_

* * *

End of Chapter!

There you go! How was it? Shorter than the others, I know. But seriously, if I hadn't stopped where I ended it, this chapter would've gone on and on and on! It's sometimes hard to stop writing when you're on a roll, don't you think?

Please tell me what you think about it! Thank you! I hope you enjoyed :D


	15. Take Me Away

Hello, people! As promised, another chapter this week! It took me a while to write this one. I had writer's block… I was really at a loss of words for once! Eerie. It is currently 3:41 AM right now. I should go to sleep soon, seriously. I'm going back to the dorms later!!! I don't wanna. :(

Anywayyyyy, I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi and stuff about her. :D

**

* * *

****You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 14: Take Me Away**

**

* * *

**

The day went by slowly in school. She was itching to get back home. Well, at least to her _new_ home. Apparently, while she was still in a coma, her mom had already purchased a new house in a much better neighborhood. It was a small two-bedroom house, each room with its own bathroom. There was a small study, a spacious living room, and a big kitchen. It had a cute little garden in front and a vast backyard. Her mother had always wanted a garden, and Natsumi always wanted a backyard where she could just read, undisturbed. It was, in many ways, a perfect home.

"Hasegawa-san?" the voice of her teacher made her snap out of her reverie.

"Yes?" she glanced at the teacher.

"You are being called to the clinic."

Natsumi furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Sir?"

He was reading a slip of paper that was delivered by another student.

"It says right now, apparently," he tossed the paper to the side, getting back to his notebook.

"Alright…" she murmured, getting up and walking to the clinic.

She turned a few corners and finally reached the small, white room. Except this time… there were two armed men standing on either side of the door. They both wore black suits. She stopped walking and stood in front of the door, hesitating.

"How are you, Natsumi-san?" one of the men asked her.

She jumped at his apparent friendliness.

"I-I'm okay… Thank you," she replied.

He raised his brows.

"Oh, that's right, you probably don't-"

"Officer!"

The door slid open and the school doctor came out, her arms crossed.

"I recall that you have been given orders not to speak to the subject. Hasegawa-san, please step inside."

Natsumi walked inside and sat down on the usual chair.

"So, how are we today?" the doctor asked, kind as always.

"I'm doing well, thank you. Oh! I didn't know you were pregnant, doctor! Congratulations! Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

Natsumi smiled widely and stared at the doctor's belly, which was an obvious baby bump now. But the doctor, for a short moment, suddenly seemed cheerless. She looked into Natsumi's eyes, carefully looking for any hint of… she didn't know what.

"Thank you…" she attempted to smile. "My husband and I are having a baby girl…"

Natsumi nodded in approval. "You must be happy, then! Most women want girls!"

The doctor looked away. "Actually, I… wanted a boy. My husband is happy that we got a girl, since he wanted it. But then again, I'm really happy, whatever the gender."

Natsumi's expression softened. "Is anything wrong?"

"So… it covered even as far as _that_, huh…?" the doctor murmured to herself.

"What was that?" Natsumi asked, worried.

"Oh, nothing!" the doctor regained her happy self. "You know, you get these weird mood swings when you're pregnant!"

"I see…" Natsumi replied. "I hope they aren't that drastic, then."

"Hmm, not at all," she said. "Now, I called you here to see how you are doing. You aren't even supposed to be attending your classes yet."

Natsumi sighed and chuckled. "I'm sorry, doctor, but you'll just have to give up just like the others have. I'm perfectly well enough to be here."

"Really?" the doctor asked, and then reached out for Natsumi's shoulder, pinching it slightly.

Natsumi winced, but didn't utter any sound. The doctor raised her brows and pinched harder.

"Oww!" Natsumi yelped and roughly swatted her arm away, at the same time standing up and jumping backwards.

Then, a few seconds later, Natsumi covered her face with her hands, burning red in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you, doctor! I… I don't usually act this way!"

The doctor patted her head lightly, and then set her arms around the trembling girl.

"I've known you for four years, dear. Of course I know how you are. It's just that sometimes our body knows things our mind doesn't… or has forgotten."

Natsumi trembled. Really, what was going on? Surely this wasn't something that usually happened after a coma?

"Now, I advise you to go home. You are in no way fit to be here, physically or otherwise. Understood?"

Natsumi nodded.

* * *

_I have nothing to utter this time_

_So can't I just stay by your side_

_Without saying a word?_

_Silence, after all, reveals a ton_

* * *

Natsumi was sprawled on her bed, notebooks scattered all over around her. She was studying for her entrance exams until more thoughts about the inconsistencies about what was going on filled her mind again. She sat up and looked around. Her room was still kind of bare, with boxes here and there of her things from their old house. Well, she didn't have much stuff to begin with, so there were only a few boxes. Her closet was a big walk-in type, and it led to the bathroom. All her clothes fit in a quarter of the closet space, and for the very first time in her life, she thought that maybe it was time she went shopping.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she said, stepping out of the closet

An old man opened the door and walked in. She forgot that her mom had hired a butler, too. He wore a traditional butler's suit and he carried a silver platter everywhere he went. She thought it was inappropriate, since the house wasn't even that big. But Natsumi guessed that her mother hired him not for herself, but for her. But it was okay, since she liked him. He was a good, honest man. His name was Hiroshi.

"You have a visitor downstairs, my lady. He says his name is Itsuki."

A wide smile appeared on her face as she darted downstairs.

"Really?! Okay, thanks, Hiroshi!"

She darted her way downstairs, tripping on the last step. She ran to the living room.

"Itsuki-kun!" she shouted.

He glanced her way, and smiled almost invisibly. He was always like that. She ran to him and brought him in a tight hug. He patted her head.

"Energetic as always," he said.

"It's because it seems like I haven't seen you in ages!"

They sat down, and Hiroshi came in with two glasses of orange juice.

"Two weeks," he said. "It does seem like a long time. And it seems even longer after the boss hired a new girl to replace you."

Natsumi sighed and shook her head.

"I haven't had the time to go to Shogun and apologize to him. I was really worried about suddenly not coming in for work… in two weeks!"

"You were in a coma, and you're worried that you haven't apologized for not showing up? I have yet to understand your head, Natsumi."

She chuckled. That was Itsuki's way of cracking a joke.

"So how'd you find me anyway?" she asked, drinking her orange juice.

"My father has connections," he said simply.

"I see," she sighed. "How's Shogun?"

"Aside from the new girl," he replied. "Nothing has changed. Sometimes people look for you."

Her face turned red. Her reaction made him slightly smirk.

"Which brings me to why I'm here," he said, as if he spoke too much in that short time. "Boss was asking if you still wanted to work in the store."

Natsumi arched a brow, "But how about the new girl?"

"She'll have a different shift, since she seems not to care about the schedule. It depends on you, though. I don't think you need to work anymore. Do you still want to?" He looked around.

She grinned.

"If you really knew me, Itsuki-kun, you wouldn't even ask."

He nodded.

"I'll tell the boss, then," he said, standing up. "Take care of yourself."

"Thanks for visiting me!"

"No problem."

And he left. She sighed, smiling. Sometimes, it was only a simple conversation that gave her a break from all her thinking. She stood there for a while, until…

CLICK, FLASH! CLICK, FLASH!

Her mother was suddenly in front of her, a digital camera in her hands. Natsumi stood there, her eye slightly twitching. Her mother took a few more pictures before setting it down on the couch and pouting.

"He already left?! I was too slow!" she sighed. "Baby! Why did he leave so soon?!"

"What are you talking about, mom?" she asked, feeling embarrassed even though nobody was around.

"There was a boy here! Hiroshi said so! I wasn't able to take pictures of the two of you together! My, my, he's a brave one, isn't he?"

"He works in Shogun, mom, just like me. Don't you remember Itsuki-kun?"

Her mother suddenly covered her mouth like a scandal broke loose.

"You're dating Itsuki-kun?!"

"No, mom."

"Oh. Then what was he doing here?"

"He told me that I could work in Shogun again if I wanted to."

"And will you?"

"Yes."

"That's the spirit! I'm glad the huge fortune isn't getting to your head like other people!"

"Right…"

"So I decided to take more pictures of you because you don't have a lot of pictures!"

"Mom, you've made me an album of each year of my existence on Earth."

"Yeah, but see? I'm using a digital camera now!"

"That's nice, mom."

"I'm going to say hi to the neighbors and take pictures with them!"

"Okay. Be back before dark, mom."

"See you later!"

Her mom skipped her way outside. She chuckled to herself and shook her head lightly. There was just no way that her mom was… a mom. She went back upstairs, to her room. She glanced at her bed, which was still messy with all the notebooks scattered around. She then went to the boxes and began unpacking everything.

* * *

_They keep saying I am_

_So I must be_

_They keep saying you are_

_But you are not  
_

_

* * *

_

"Hello, mom?" Natsumi spoke through Shogun's phone, which she could use for free. "I'm going to stop by the old house after work."

"But why, baby?" her mother said on the other line. "It's creepy there at this time!"

Natsumi sighed. "We used to live there, mom. Why would it be creepy?"

"Because it's all empty and… empty! It's like a haunted house!"

The bell from the entrance chimed – there was a customer.

"Come on, mom. Seriously?"

"Okay, fine. At least let Youshirou take you."

Youshirou was their driver.

"No, mom. He's got a family too, you know. I let him go home after bringing me here."

"Okay. Why are you going anyway?"

Natsumi shrugged.

"I unpacked my stuff last night and… I don't know. I really feel like something's missing. Maybe I left it back there."

"But the movers said that there was nothing there anymore."

"Yeah, but you never know. It's been bugging me since I woke up in the hospital, actually. It's like I left something."

The customer set a basket full of chips and soda on the counter.

"Listen, mom, I gotta go. I'll see you later."

She hung up before her mom could protest.

"Good evening," she greeted, smiling. She looked up at the customer. Immediately, her face turned a deep shade of red as she looked at the tall man.

He had red-orange hair that was spiked up in different directions. He wore a black button-up shirt and faded jeans. His skin was ivory white. His eyes were small but sharp. And his smile… it was playful yet catching. Was he an actor?

"Do you usually stare at your customers?" he interjected.

His voice was hauntingly mischievous, but it made her snap back to the present.

"I apologize," she said, scanning the food from his basket hastily. "I just seem to space out a lot these days. And… you seem familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

His face suddenly contorted into that of a pained look. He clenched his fist, which trembled like he was keeping himself from doing something. But then he smiled again.

"I don't think so. And don't apologize. I'm used to being stared at."

'_How conceited!' _she thought, her eye slightly twitching.

"Right…" she said instead, pretending to laugh.

"Are you new here?" he asked, his eyes glimmering.

'_Must be a recent customer…'_

"No," she replied. "I was just away for a few weeks."

He leaned on the counter and set his chin on his hand, seemingly amused by her. She backed away from the register.

"Oh, really?" he said dramatically. "Why? Did you go on a secret trip with your lover?"

'_What the hell is wrong with this person?!?!'_

"No, sir. I just needed a break. Your total is 327.50."

"Hmm…" he handed her a credit card. "You're from Kashmire Academy, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," she replied. So he was a local. It was okay, though. She still had her disguise on – her thick-framed glasses and tied hair – and the big Shogun apron. Not that she needed it anymore.

She swiped his card and punched in some numbers, but then accidentally hit the edge of register, making a small cut on her finger.

"Oh, darn it…" she murmured, looking for a band-aid as she tried not to make her blood drip. "I'm so sorry, sir. Here's your receipt."

She ripped off the receipt that came out of the machine and handed it to him as she tried to put everything in plastic bags with one hand.

"Sir?" she looked at him when he didn't reach for it. "Your receipt?"

He shook his head violently and grabbed his receipt.

"Take care of yourself for once," he whispered angrily, but she heard.

He turned around and headed for the door.

"Sir! Your stuff!" she lifted the bags and stretched her arms across the counter. He stopped.

"Those are for you…" he said, and then left the store.

"What? That can't be right…"

She lifted the counter top and slid outside, then ran to catch him. But when she looked around, he was gone.

'_What the hell...?'_

She went back inside, setting the bags on the floor. Itsuki came out of the backroom.

"I heard some noise. Are you alright?" he asked, his face still blank as always.

Natsumi stared at him before she answered. "Yeah… But this guy just bought stuff… and then left without them."

"Did you run after him?"

"Yes, I did. But… he said these are for me… Do you know him? He's tall and has orange-ish hair. And he's… quite good-looking."

"No, I don't."

"Okay, then..."

"Maybe you should go now. You don't look too well."

"No, I… He just seemed like… he knew me or something."

"Do you have another stalker?"

"Shut up, Itsuki-kun!"

He went back into the backroom.

"Go home. I'll take it from here," he said behind the door.

"I have to stop by my old house first. I'll see you tomorrow!"

She took off her fake glasses and apron, and then left the store, with the plastic bags in hand.

* * *

There was a crashing sound, followed by the sound of someone being held down.

"Hisoka, stop it!" Nobunaga yelled as he tackled the jester to the floor.

Hisoka's fists were bloody from punching the wall, and there were other bruises on his body that were apparently self-inflicted.

"I almost lost my control… I almost grabbed her… I almost lost it… If I didn't leave sooner, I might have…"

He stopped struggling against Nobunaga.

"You shouldn't even have gone to see her, Hisoka," Franklin said.

"You think I can keep myself from her?! She was bleeding!"

"It was a tiny cut!" Nobunaga yelled. "Even I wouldn't have overreacted!"

Hisoka scowled at him. "What would you know? You don't care about her!"

Nobunaga frowned and punched him. It hurt, and Hisoka spat out blood.

"I don't?" Nobunaga seemed to snarl. "She told me to kill my enemy, and yet I didn't, because I knew it was truly against her wishes! Don't accuse others for your deficiencies, Hisoka!"

Hisoka turned and tackled Nobunaga this time, and the two fist-fought each other. Franklin sighed.

"Stop it, you two," he said. "Neither of you are serious, so this obviously isn't even a real fight."

They didn't listen.

"How foolish," Feitan murmured. "Such trouble for that girl?"

"Well," Shalnark said as he played a game on his phone. "She was quite fun to tease. And her reactions were hilarious. Oh, darn it! I lost. Don't talk to me when I'm playing a game, Feitan!"

"You were the one who said more than enough words."

The door of the warehouse suddenly slid open, and in came a soaked Machi. Lightning flashed and thunder roared.

"Whoa," Shalnark said. "I didn't even realize it was raining outside!"

Machi let her hair down and squeezed the water out. She stepped over the two men who were in a catfight and sat on one of the crates.

"It just started pouring," she complained. "What're these two goons fighting about?"

"The usual," Franklin replied.

"Seriously…" Machi sighed, exasperated. "What did the clown do this time?"

"The usual," Shalnark remarked, playing a new game on his phone.

"He went to see her _again_?" she said, putting more than enough emphasis on the last word.

"Well, it's different this time," Franklin said. "He talked to her. Not like that time in the hospital. He really _talked_ to her."

Machi stopped and arched a brow. "Is he crazy? He could've lost control and- Oh. Right. So that's why they're fighting."

"Pretty much," Shalnark grinned. "No! Died again! Don't talk to me while I'm playing!"

"This needs to stop," Feitan said in a deadly tone. "This petty quarrel is getting on my nerves."

Machi squeezed out more water from her kimono.

"When I was on my way back," she said, loud enough for the two men to hear. "I saw Natsumi on her way to her old home. It's raining. And you know the rest."

The two men stopped in an instant. Nobunaga had his hand in the air in mid-punch. And they disappeared in a haze. The heavy metal door of the warehouse snapped shut, and the entire place went silent.

"Thank you," Feitan said, lying on the floor to take a nap.

"Anytime," Machi replied. "Let's just hope they don't make a scene."

* * *

_I can't see you_

_I can't feel you_

_I suppose this is _

_The end of me_

_

* * *

_

Natsumi ran through the rain and finally reached her old house. The door was slightly ajar, but the lights were all turned off. She stepped inside and hastily closed the door. It was terribly cold outside, but it was just as cold inside as well. She flicked the switch and a few lights came on.

"So cold…"

She shivered a bit. She set the plastic bags from Shogun down on the floor, and then took off her jacket. She was soaked from head to toe. Her socks felt gross in her shoes, all wet and squishy. She took them off and hung them on the ledge of the window.

"Hello, home," she said softly, smiling to herself.

Her mom was right. It was kind of creepy. It was totally empty and dusty. How did it manage to get this dusty anyway? Her wet feet left footprints on the dusty wooden floor. She looked around as she twisted her hair to let the water run out. She went to her room first.

Lightning suddenly flashed. It didn't help that her room had a big window. It was soon followed by thunder, and she jumped and crouched to the floor, her hands on her ears to block the sound. She trembled silently.

"Hello, princess!"

A voice came from behind her and she jumped backwards, afraid. There was a man in the doorway… a middle-aged, dirty-looking man. He had messy black hair that reached his shoulders and a sadistic grin on his face. He was carrying a bottle of whiskey that was already three-quarters empty. He drank from it then wiped his mouth with his dirty sleeve.

"You've finally come back, my dear!" he said. "You suddenly disappeared! I felt lonely! Come on, party time!"

"Who are you?!" Natsumi yelled, backing away even more.

He moved closer to her, and her body began to shake.

"You don't remember me?" he asked, putting on a hurt expression. "Come on, babe! I'm your valued customer!"

Natsumi's eyes widened as she realized that he mistook her for her mother. He went even closer and grabbed her wrist. She winced. She was still sore from being in the hospital.

He reeked of alcohol. He leaned in closer, setting his lips near her ear.

"You smell like the rain… I like that," he whispered.

She realized that he wasn't soaked like she was, even though it had already been raining for a while. He must've been here for a long time.

"S-stay away…" she said, trying to sound fierce. But her voice was lost. Tears began stinging her eyes.

"Oh, come on. You aren't resisting, see? You're practically begging me!" he chuckled, his sour breath filling her lungs. She almost threw up from his stench, but her bodily functions just stopped.

He pressed his nose against her cheek, tracing down to her neck.

"Stay away!" she yelled, pushing him. He stumbled down the floor and she ran to the door. Well, at least she aimed for it. She was still dripping from the rain, and so she slid on the wet trail she had left when she walked in.

"Damn it!" she shouted, pounding her fist on the floor. It almost seemed like her body wouldn't allow her to be safe.

She scrambled to get on her feet, but she was slowly losing her strength. She was already getting tired. Exactly how weak was she? And why was her body so painful from simply being in a coma anyway? She knew something happened to her to explain the damage to every single branch of her body. But what exactly what was it?

The man grabbed her leg and disgustingly pulled himself forward towards her, as if gliding on the ground. He chuckled viciously, breaking the bottle of whiskey on the ground with his free hand.

"Are you running away from me?!" he growled. "No one runs away from me!"

He gripped her more tightly, and it hurt even more. It didn't make sense! It's as if every single nerve in her body was damaged. Traumatized! There were only two ways for her entire body to be in this much pain – either she had a virus in her bloodstream that flowed through her entire system or she was electrocuted for a long period of time. She couldn't remember anything. Was it safe to guess?

"Let go of me!" she yelled, kicking him hard on the face.

His grip loosened slightly, and she could've taken that opportunity to get up and run, but her legs refused to budge.

"What the hell!!!" she yelled, already at the limit of her patience. "What is wrong with me?!"

How could she not even fight a drunken man who was struggling on the floor? Exactly what kind of pathetic human being was she?

He grabbed her leg again. "You aren't running away from me again!"

He lifted the broken bottle high in the air... and raggedly stabbed her leg with it, deeply. And she screamed – the loudest she had ever screamed in her entire life. It was an ear-piercing, painful shriek that was the embodiment of suffering. She could hear the man's maniacal laughter in the background as he grabbed her shoulder and roughly turned her around. She took in deep, short breaths. Her body was trembling. Was this her end?

'_That man was right…'_ she thought. _'I really do need to take care of myself. But what did he mean by "for once?" It's like he's seen me in trouble before…'_

Why was she even thinking about that man? Her brain really was something to behold.

She could feel the man's hands all over her now. Incredible. How could she even feel anything aside from the pain from her bleeding leg? It was like getting pricked by a needle when she was fixing her mom's dress, except that this was three hundred times more painful and long lasting. But it was almost funny. If this was going to end like she thought it was, she felt that somebody was going to be extremely vicious. Well, it was just a feeling. And these feelings of hers were usually right. So… was it gonna be her mom? Maybe. Hiroshi? Unlikely. Itsuki-kun? Probably. Milluki? Most likely.

So Milluki was gonna be all ferocious against this man. Milluki had connections. He's not gonna let him off the hook easily. Poor guy.

So she lay limply there, waiting for the impending disaster. She closed her eyes. The image of the man from the store appeared in her head. What was his problem anyway? Being so nice, then being conceited, then anti-social, then generous. Maybe he was bipolar, and was in one of his manic episodes. Interesting. Was he gonna get upset if he heard about what was about to take place? Probably not. He didn't even know who she was. Or maybe he would… He would. He definitely would.

"Get off!" she yelled, raising her uninjured leg and hitting him with her knee. "I won't let you! He'll get upset! I know he will!"

The man groaned in pain as he rolled off, his hands on his stomach. She crawled to the doorframe and pulled herself up. It just hurt too much. Her arms, her stomach, one of her arms, and her left leg. The room began to get dark, and her ears suddenly blocked sound.

'_Here it comes…'_ she thought, waiting to pass out. _'At least let me get outside, where someone can see me!'_

She limped towards the main door, dragging her bleeding leg behind her.

"WOMAN!" the man shouted from her room.

She gritted her teeth as she reached for the door. She quickened her pace and finally reached the door. She threw it open… She froze. There were two men standing outside, soaking wet, just like she was. She recognized one of them. His hair fell to his shoulders instead of being spiked up, but his face was the same.

He looked at her, a horrified expression on his face. He stretched his arms out to her, not knowing what to do. She limped into his arms, and he embraced her tightly.

"Princess…" he whispered.

"He stabbed me and cut my posterior tibial vein…" she whispered. "I think he was going to violate me, too… Are you upset?"

He tightened his grip around her.

"Very, very upset."

She smiled. Tears came.

"I knew it… I told him so…"

And everything went black.

* * *

End of chapter! Waaaaah! I know it started off a bit boring, and I'm sorry about that! So what do you think? Does she remember who he is? Does she not? We'll see!

Man, school time again. But see? I finished another chapter for you guys! I insisted on it, even though people over here kept making me stop writing! Haha.

Please tell me what you think! :D


	16. No Interference

Hello, people! I couldn't help but write, even though I've had so much to do lately. Well, I've been irresponsible. You'll read later on in the end the wonderful stupidities I've done in school. Okay, I'll stop talking about myself right about… now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter! I own this story and Natsumi, and things about her!

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 15: No Interference**

**---**

_I'm searching for a word _

_To describe this happiness_

_Will you keep me in your arms_

_Until I find the right one?_

---

_Previously:_

_Natsumi gritted her teeth as she reached for the door. She quickened her pace and finally reached it. She threw it open… and she froze. Two men stood outside. They were soaking wet from the rain, just like she was. She recognized one of them. How could she forget? The water messed up his hair, but his face was the same._

_He looked at her, a horrified expression on his face. He stretched his arms out to her, as if he didn't know what to do. She limped into his arms, and he embraced her tightly._

"_Princess…" he whispered._

_She whispered to him her vague analysis of the situation… and asked him: "Are you upset?"_

_And he tightened his grip around her._

"_Very, very upset," he said._

_She smiled. Tears came._

"_I knew it," she breathed out. "I told him so…"_

_And everything went black._

_---_

She didn't know when she came to. She could just suddenly hear worried voices. One, two, three, she counted. Three distinct voices. One woman. Two men. All vaguely familiar, especially one man's voice.

"Please don't leave a scar again," the smooth voice said.

"You think I have a choice? She can't control her own bleeding, so there will inevitably be another scar. Just another faint one," the woman replied.

"Not like it matters," the other voice said. "She has more than one scar on her legs, the ditzy thing that she is."

There was a growl of annoyance.

"My princess is still perfect."

"Of course. Besides, compared to you, she's a work of art."

"My princess would choose me over you a thousand times over!"

"Shut up, the both of you!" the woman hissed. "I'm done. And the rate of her pulse tells me she's awake."

Natsumi opened her eyes on cue.

"Princess?"

She looked to her left. There, holding her hand, was the customer from the convenience store. He was still wet from the rain, so it was still the same evening. To her right was the man who accompanied him. His face was full of conflict, as if he was torn about something. She sat up, and the handsome man supported her back with his large hand. Kneeling close to her feet was the most beautiful woman she's ever seen. Her purple-bluish hair was in a spiky ponytail, her sharp eyes were piercingly beautiful, and her pouty lips made her seem even more intimidating. She was wearing a light pink kimono. It was a short one, too. Maybe she was a modern-day kunoichi.

Where were they anyway? She looked around. It was a scary, dusty old place… was it an abandoned building? They were pretty high up, too. She felt queasy… heights made her anxious. And the dark wasn't helping either. The only source of light was from a faint candle that seemed unperturbed by the strong winds coming from an open window.

She then glanced down at her leg, where the pain seemed to be fading away. There was blood all over the place. Her blood. And yet… where were the jagged incisions? She bent over and traced her leg for her wound, but she could only feel a single thin line, which was around less than a millimeter in width and half a foot in length. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

She could feel their eyes on her. The silence was dragging, but she didn't care. She raised her wet shirt and traced a similar, almost invisible line on her stomach. And then she went to her left arm… and yet another one was there. All the same texture, all the same nature…

"Internal bleeding," Natsumi began to speak. What she said seemed to elicit a sort of reaction from the beautiful woman. It was a minuscule tilt of the head, sure, but she noticed it. "That is the reason for the scar on my stomach. As for my arm, it was a near-fracture. And for my leg, it was the broken bottle. I also reached some conclusions as to why my body has been the way it is, but at the end of the day, they are still guesses. They wouldn't let me see my own medical records, so all I could do was observe myself. But… you know, don't you? You are the key to everything, right?"

Natsumi couldn't believe what she was saying. Five minutes upon waking up and she was already spouting a bunch of gibberish. And yet it all made sense. It was times like this that she really appreciated her brain.

The woman stood up and dusted her kimono. There wasn't a drop of blood on her. Even her hands were clean. What happened to the needle and thread she used? She turned around and began to walk away.

"The key to everything, you say? Sorry, I'm not," she paused. "But _he_ is."

And even though she didn't point to anyone, Natsumi knew who it was: the handsome man, whose playful face only reflected torment. He still held her hand.

But why was he looking at her that way? It was like that time with the doctor… the way he was holding her hand, too. Natsumi glanced at the way his big hand enveloped hers tightly. She stopped her breathing and pulled her hand away from him and closed her eyes, turning her head away.

She heard him move away from her, as if respecting her wishes. The other man next to her did the same thing. She opened her eyes and glanced at the handsome man again. He was wearing a black vest with card shapes on it, white pants, and strange, slightly pointed boots. His hair still fell to his shoulders because of the weight of the rain.

"You look so pretty when you're soaked from head to toe like that…" he murmured.

Natsumi's cheeks burned intensely, and she covered her face in embarrassment. She couldn't bring herself to say anything.

'_Wh-what's up with him?!'_

Realizing what he had said, he smacked his own face.

"Forgive me! I most definitely believed that I was speaking in my head!"

The other man was laughing in the background, rolling around on the floor with his hands on his stomach.

"Way to go, Hisoka! Now that's how you break the ice!" he laughed.

Natsumi turned to him again.

'_His name is Hisoka-san, then…'_

"At your service," he said, as if responding to her silent acknowledgement. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

Natsumi looked down.

"Oh, no. It's okay. I wouldn't like to impose myself on-"

"Okay!" he suddenly tossed her over his shoulder and started walking. "This way!"

She panicked. What was this man doing to her? He was crazy! She pounded on his back and yelled out.

"P-please let me down! Hisoka, let me down!"

He abruptly stopped walking. She raised her brows in surprise as she covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry!" she said, her hands muffling her voice. "It should've been Hisoka-SAN. I'm so rude. But please let me down."

"Princess," he said, sounding grave. "You remember my name?"

She tried to turn her head around to face him, but it was impossible. She couldn't even move her legs.

"Umm… He said your name so…" she said, pointing to the scruffy man.

There was a long pause, then he grabbed her and set her down, more roughly than the first time, as if he was upset. He looked at her with that fake playful expression again. How could she tell it was fake anyway?

"Ahh, yes. Of course!"

She wobbled on her feet, and his arm was automatically set softly on her back, as if it was his force of habit to keep her from falling. The other man smirked at his gesture, and then he left the room.

The rain suddenly stopped, so there was an onslaught of a deeper silence.

"What is it that you would like to do right now?" Hisoka asked, smiling widely.

"Questions…" she replied. "I have questions."

"And I have cards!" he said, taking out a deck of cards from the air. He shuffled them from one hand to the other, appearing like a pro.

'_What's his problem…?!'_

Her silence seemed to have caught him off-guard. He dropped his cards on the floor and just stared at them. Natsumi gazed at him… his arms were so muscular, especially from this angle. And how tall was he? He seemed like such a big person. But he was really handsome. He was like a runway model! But why was he such a weird person? Was he suffering from a split-personality disorder?

"You must be so confused, princess…" he said softly. "So many questions, and yet no answer is revealed, except little pieces of misinformation. I apologize… I really do… for being the cause of such confusion."

'_The cause…?'_

This wasn't right. Why did he look so fragile? Maybe, instead of a split-personality disorder, he had a case of bipolarity. It would explain both the manic episodes and the depressive mood swings, and maybe his eccentric antics, too.

"Why do you speak to me… like you know me?" she asked. She couldn't help it. "Why do you call me…'princess?'"

He stared at her blankly, though it was evident that he was listening. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle – a battle he seemed so used to confronting. He smiled widely. It might've been convincing to others, but she didn't buy it, and he knew it, too.

"Hmm…" His voice was playful. "Why, indeed?"

---

_Please, take my hand_

_Let me lead you somewhere_

_To a place in a different dimension_

_There, we only need each other's love_

_---_

Natsumi sighed.

'_In the end, he didn't tell me anything.'_

The teacher up front talked endlessly about math. Natsumi already knew everything. This was cram school, after all. She was lucky, though. Kashmire Academy offered it free for all its students because, well, they just could. She silently chuckled. She didn't even need to think about costs anymore. But it was a habit, so it's not like she could do anything about it. At least now, she had a choice. She smiled.

"Natsumi-chan!" somebody whispered her name.

She turned around inconspicuously, trying to avoid the attention of the teacher. Behind her was Miyuki, the girl who always hung around the group of airheaded girls. Well, she should stop calling them that. They were her friends now, apparently. One day, they just began talking to each other, like it was natural. It took Natsumi a while to get used to replying with more than one-liners, but she liked hanging out with them. Miyuki was most probably her favorite. She hated playing favorites, but for a person with a few friends, she couldn't help it.

"Yeah?" she whispered back to Miyuki.

"Are you going to training today?"

That was right. She almost forgot. She had joined Miyuki's kendo club right after the incident with that man, Hisoka, which was about a week ago. It was unusual of her to join, especially since regular classes were already over, but she wanted to. She _needed_ to… in order to at least get physically stronger. And besides, it looked pretty cool being able to wield a sword like that, albeit it was only a wooden one.

"Yeah, definitely," she replied, her tone of voice implying the end of the conversation.

The bell rung after a few more minutes of boring lecture. All the students immediately ran out the door, save for the group of girls that Natsumi was just thinking about. They sat together at the back, rarely paying any attention to class. Good thing she was a seat ahead, so she didn't need to make up an excuse not to participate in their loud conversations during class.

"Today's classes were just absolutely horrible!" the leader of the pack said.

"Totally!" another backed her up.

"It's as if the teachers _enjoy_ it," yet another said.

"I bet they do. They don't have a life outside of school, after all."

There was a pause. Natsumi took that as her cue to say something.

"Well… they probably liked school when they were our age, so they decided to sort of stay in school…"

Natsumi mentally winced. She shouldn't have said something too intelligent, even though that wasn't much of an intelligent response. She smiled, though. At least she now had people to talk to about stuff.

"Hmm," Miyuki tilted her head in thought. "So maybe that's why a lot of our teachers don't get married. No time for other things but school…"

"Teachers should marry each other, then!"

"How about our math and science teachers? What if they're together?"

"But they're old! They'd die before they celebrate their first anniversary!"

They all laughed together, and even Natsumi found herself giggling. This was fun. For the first time in years, she was having fun. Miyuki snapped a photo of Natsumi.

"No!" Natsumi shouted, blushing. "You're always taking my pictures, Miyuki!"

"But you rarely laugh, Natsumi-chan! I just had to take it this time!"

Natsumi looked away, embarrassed.

"Fine… Just don't show it to anyone…"

"But why not? This guy from the class next to ours, he was asking for your picture!"

"Ooh!" the other girls cooed.

"Mi-Miyuki!" Natsumi called out. "Don't we have kendo right now? Let's not be late!"

Natsumi got up and grabbed her things, taking Miyuki with her and running out the door.

"Natsumi-chan doesn't have a boyfriend, does she?" one of the girls asked when they were gone.

"Nope."

"Should we get her one?"

They all looked at each other, and then nodded simultaneously.

"Operation Natsumi-chan's New Boyfriend! Commence!"

---

Natsumi panted as she lay on the floor, sweat drenching her entire body. Miyuki bent down and poked her with a wooden sword. Natsumi sat up, wiping the sweat off her face. It was no use, though. Even her arms and hands were wet.

"Looks like the newbie's tired!" a booming voice came from behind her.

'_Not this guy again…'_ she thought.

Natsumi immediately stood up, hiding her annoyance.

"Rei-kun! That isn't nice!" Miyuki said. "You and I used to be newbies once!"

"Yeah, but we weren't as pathetic."

'_This guy…'_

Natsumi clenched her fist and turned around. Beside Miyuki was a tall, good-looking boy who was around their age. He had light brown hair and narrow, dark brown eyes. He looked so serious all the time. Whereas a normal person would've been scared of his deadly stares, Natsumi only got annoyed. Not that she'd let him know.

"Cleaning duty, newbie," he said, still frowning. He handed her a pail, but dropped it as Natsumi was just reaching for it. It landed on her arms, but she stumbled forward. She didn't know there was any water in it. The water spilled all over the place.

"Rei-kun!" Miyuki yelled. "Her muscles hurt! I thought I told you that!"

Natsumi winced. She actually had forgotten the pain searing throughout her muscles. Maybe she was getting used to the bodily pain that came and went every now and then. If she only knew the cause, she would've probably done something about it already.

"Whatever," he frowned. "Make sure it's done by tomorrow. Training is over, everyone!"

Everybody left, except for Miyuki and Natsumi.

"Geez! He's so mean!" Miyuki complained, picking up the bucket. "Don't let him abuse you like that, Natsumi-chan!"

Natsumi grinned. "It's okay. I understand what he's going through."

Miyuki tilted her head to the side. "You do?"

Natsumi grabbed a mop and began to clean the floor.

"Yeah, of course. It's easy to guess."

"Tell me! Tell me!" Miyuki jumped up and down.

"You know…" Natsumi whispered, urging Miyuki to come closer. "Even guys have… that time of the month."

Miyuki jumped up, gasping in surprise. "Really?! I never knew!!!"

Natsumi nodded in all seriousness.

"Rei-san is special, though," she continued.

"In what way?" Miyuki said, also grabbing a mop.

"Hmm… He has _it_ everyday."

"Pfft…..ft…. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

The two burst out laughing until they dropped to the floor with their hands on their stomachs, gasping for air.

Right outside, Nobunaga and Hisoka were staring at each other. For how long they had been doing so, nobody really knew. Hisoka sat on the branch of a tree, somehow able to stack a small pyramid of cards on the rough bark's surface. The tree overlooked the kendo dojo. Nobunaga was on top of the roof.

"You know," Nobunaga broke the silence. "What you are doing, by all definitions I can think of, is called 'stalking.' You know that, right?"

Hisoka continued to stare at the samurai.

"And what _you_ are doing," Hisoka countered. "By all definitions the world can give, is called 'disturbing my stalking.'"

Nobunaga grinned, sitting down on the slanted roof. How he did it was beyond explanation.

"Have you spoken to her?" he asked. "You've been here all this time, I assumed you have."

Hisoka stacked another card successfully. It didn't seem like he was even trying.

"I haven't," he said. "Those loudmouthed girls are always with her."

Nobunaga arched a brow.

"Hmm? That never stopped you before, though. There's another reason, isn't there?"

Hisoka stacked another card, but the rest of the cards collapsed and slowly fell to the ground. Another deck appeared in his hands and he began shuffling. Nobunaga grinned.

"I think I know why," he said. He was serious, too. The sound of two girls laughing again suddenly filled the air, and Hisoka flinched. Nobunaga crossed his arms, but Hisoka didn't say anything.

"It's because…" Nobunaga said, turning serious. "Natsumi seems to be having fun for the first time."

The dojo's door slid open, and the two men glanced at the entrance. Natsumi and Miyuki walked out, laughing and giggling as they held on to each other for support.

"They sure are close," Nobunaga said quietly as he watched. "Makes me jealous."

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Natsumi said. Miyuki hugged her and patted her head.

"Are you going home already?"

"Nope," Natsumi replied, grabbing her backpack from the outdoor lockers. "I still have… work."

"Oh, that's right! I nearly forgot! Here," Miyuki said, handing Natsumi a small memory card. "Please print them out for me! I'll pay you back tomorrow!"

Natsumi nodded. "Sure."

"Interesting," Nobunaga spoke again. "People know that she works now, huh?"

"Just her friends. They find it cute," Hisoka said, never taking his eyes off Natsumi.

"Ooh... How many times is she working this week?"

"Three times."

"What time is she off?"

"9:30."

"What's the name of her coworker?"

"Itsuki-kun."

"What color is her underwear today?"

"Pink."

"You are so creepy, Hisoka… So creepy."

But Hisoka wasn't paying attention anymore. He narrowed his eyes at the memory card in Natsumi's hands.

"What's up with you?" Nobunaga prodded him when he didn't get a response.

"That girl with my princess… She was with us at the party that night."

"Yeah? So? Her memories were erased, too."

Hisoka stood up hastily, dropping all his cards.

"What the hell, Hisoka?" Nobunaga stood up as well. Hisoka jumped down, though he still kept away from the girls' line of vision.

"That girl…" he murmured.

"What about her? You interested?"

"No…" he glanced at Nobunaga. "She was taking pictures of us that night."

---

End of chapter!

Ooh! What's going to happen now?! Okay. It's 12:31 AM, and I gotta go to bed. I have a midterm tomorrow/later afternoon, and I haven't really studied all that much. Oh! Wanna know something awesome? I've been doing really badly in school lately! I got a C in my chemistry midterm, and last week, I walked in my calculus class, not knowing that I had a midterm that day! Awesome, huh? Haha! Don't follow my ways! You'll end up weird.

Please review!


	17. Fearful Fearlessness

Hello, people! How is everyone? So here we have another installment of You Disrupt Me! I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi and stuff about her.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 16: Fearful Fearlessness**

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* * *

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_Time is running out_

_Are you not watching the hourglass?_

_As soon as the last grain falls_

_Even my love, I might fail to remember_

* * *

Natsumi yawned silently. She sighed as she answered another math problem in her notebook. She closed her eyes, if only to rest a little. Itsuki came out of the backroom and walked up to her.

"Your friend called earlier to remind you about the pictures," he said flatly.

"Oh, right!" she said, digging through her backpack. "I forgot!"

Itsuki arched a brow. "You forgot?"

Natsumi nodded. "Too much in my head lately," she chuckled. "Here it is!"

She handed the tiny memory card to him. "Miyuki is paying me back tomorrow morning, so I'll pay first tonight."

Itsuki nodded and went to the backroom to print the pictures. The door opened as the door chimed a soft tune. Natsumi leaned over the counter to greet the customer.

"Welcome to Sho-!"

She stopped speaking midway. There, in the doorway, stood the scruffy-looking samurai from before. He wasn't wearing the dirty kimono anymore, but loose black jeans and a long-sleeved blue shirt. He still had his sword, though, which hung loosely behind him. He walked up to the counter and grinned.

"You can't hide your pretty face with a dumb disguise like that," he said, setting his elbows on the counter and resting his chin on his hand.

"I-I'm not trying to hide anything…" she stammered, taking off her fake glasses.

'_What is he doing here all of a sudden? And where is Hisoka-san?'_

His face seemed to always hold a passive look, but his voice revealed interest.

"So how have you been, huh?" he asked, as if he hadn't seen her in years. Natsumi backed away from the counter a bit. His lips showed a slight pout when she did. She looked at him warily.

"Are you here… to see me?" she asked, embarrassed. If anybody had heard that, they would've thought she was an attention-seeking diva. Of course, she didn't mean it that way. Why else would he show up here, unless he was running low on instant ramen? Besides, there were hundreds of convenience stores around York Shin. Realistically, it was really possible for him to accidentally have stumbled upon this one, but he didn't look surprised at all when he had seen her, despite the disguise.

"Yeah," he replied. "Surprised?"

Natsumi nodded her head. "Are you here to answer my questions?"

He frowned suddenly, pity in his eyes. "Sorry. No."

It was Natsumi's turn to frown. "Then why are you here?" Her voice was shaky. Her emotions were slowly spiraling out of control. But who could blame her? She spent weeks looking for answers, and when she met people who obviously knew, they would disappear, only to show up again, and still hide the truth. Were they playing with her? It wasn't funny! It was like teasing a small dog with a tasty treat dangling in the air, and when it jumped for it, the owner would dangle it higher. Out of reach…

"Just wanted to see if you were doing okay. Studying, huh?" he said, pointing to the notebook on the counter.

"Where is Hisoka-san?" she asked, ignoring what he was saying.

He narrowed his eyes. She didn't know what it was, but she could definitely see something in his expression. Was it annoyance?

"Why?" he spoke with obvious distaste.

Natsumi looked away, unable to say anything. There was a long moment of silence. She toyed with her fingers and chewed on her lip.

'_I feel the urge to argue with him since he's so annoying… But that would be rude, wouldn't it?'_

"You like kendo, huh?" he asked suddenly.

Natsumi realized he was pointing to the wooden sword beside her backpack. She took it from the ground and set it on the counter.

"It's… okay," she said. "I am still learning."

'_Small talk? Is this what he wanted?'_

"Hmm, you'd probably end up hurting yourself, though. A body like yours can't cope."

Natsumi's eye twitched. _'How rude!'_

"I do what I can with what I have," she said sharply.

He chuckled, seemingly amused by her words. "You have to show this feisty side more often."

Her cheeks burnt red. She couldn't look at him anymore. Why were there so many strange people in this world? Well, she was probably one of the strange people, too. She opened her mouth to say something, but there was a sudden crashing noise from the backroom. The samurai man gritted his teeth, as if he was almost expecting it to happen.

"Itsuki-kun?" she called, running to the room. There were lots of boxes in there. Was he okay?

She opened the door and ran inside, only to crash into somebody who stood in her way. She fell backwards, but was promptly caught by the samurai man, whose name she still hadn't gotten.

"I certainly wasn't expecting that you could fight."

Natsumi gasped as she saw Itsuki standing in somewhat of a defensive pose. There was a thin cut on his cheek, which was bleeding lightly. His expression was different. It was his usual blank look, but his eyes showed more intensity. The person she had bumped into… was Hisoka.

"Hisoka!" the samurai berated. "We agreed, no horseplay!"

"Now, now Nobunaga-chan," he kidded, turning around. But Natsumi was right in front of him, instead of the samurai, whom Natsumi know identified as Nobunaga. Hisoka suddenly dropped a deck of cards on the floor. Natsumi didn't even know he had them in his hands. He raised his arms in the air, as if a gun was being pointed in his direction.

"This isn't what it looks like, princess!" he said. "It was an accident."

Natsumi didn't know what to do. She ran past Hisoka and over to Itsuki, who had beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. Natsumi took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed the blood off his cheek.

"Are you alright, Itsuki-kun?" she asked, her face contorted in a worried expression. The cut wouldn't stop bleeding.

Hisoka simply watched on as she made a big fuss about the wounded boy.

"I'm fine. Stand behind me," Itsuki said, pushing her behind him.

Hisoka arched a brow, annoyed at Itsuki's protective but rough action. Nobunaga stood close to the doorway, pissed at the unexpected (but at the same time, also expected) development.

"Why are you really here?" Natsumi asked, still standing behind Itsuki.

Itsuki raised his hand. In between his fingers was Miyuki's memory card.

"He was going for this," he explained. "He was very fast. I almost missed him."

Natsumi shook her head in confusion. "What?"

"Miyuki's family is important. Perhaps they want the data embedded in this chip," he said, speculating.

"But there are only pictures in there," Natsumi reasoned.

"You never know," Itsuki said. "Unless the pictures themselves are what they're after."

Hisoka grinned. "Of course! I only wanted the pictures! Because you have pictures in there, my princess! And I want them."

Natsumi's cheeks went red, and her ears became warm.

"D-don't keep saying such embarrassing things!" Natsumi shouted. "I doubt you only want something as trivial as that!"

'_But maybe it's the truth,'_ Natsumi mused. _'Miyuki's memory card was made specifically for the model of her digital camera… it only stores picture files for maximum storage. Then… did she take pictures of something other people shouldn't see?'_

"Natsumi," Itsuki said, his voice turning deadly. "He is dangerous. Don't believe anything he says."

'_Dangerous? I know that already...'_

Natsumi glanced at Itsuki's face again. His cut was still bleeding. She clenched her fist, anger building up. She glanced at Hisoka, a fuming expression etched on her features. Hisoka suddenly stiffened, instinctively taking a step back from her harsh gaze.

"Princess, I wasn't trying to…" he began speaking, but she didn't seem to care what he was trying to say. He couldn't explain himself, not right now.

It's been a little over a week since she last saw him… since that time she realized that he knew her, and that she was supposed to know who he was. Why couldn't she remember where she's met him before? He had asked her how she remembered his name, even though it was by chance that she had heard the samurai, Nobunaga, call him out. It meant that he was being somewhat paranoid about her knowing it. Why? What was he doing here right now?

"What do you really need?" she asked him, her angry tone somehow scathing his composure.

"We just wanted to play," he replied, as if trying to convince himself, although his face obviously showed apprehension. Her cold attitude towards him obviously made him uneasy.

'_Why is he looking at me this way…?' _Natsumi couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Why are you trying to take Miyuki's memory card?" she asked, although her voice shook once more. "What is in there that you need? Moreover, how did you know it was here?"

Natsumi didn't want to admit it, but she knew the answer to the last question. She and Miyuki weren't alone in the dojo after all. She took a step forward to ask more questions, but Itsuki suddenly fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Itsuki-kun!" Natsumi shouted, catching his upper body and letting him fall on her. There was a soft cracking sound. Natsumi winced. Was that her right index finger just now? Her eyes welled up as the searing pain went up to her arm all the way to her head.

"Princess!" Hisoka appeared beside her, frightening her even more.

"Stay away from me! What did you do to Itsuki-kun?!" she yelled, pushing him with her free hand. Hisoka grabbed her wrist and effortlessly pulled her from under the unconscious boy. Natsumi caught a glance of something shiny on Itsuki's neck. Was that a needle? It looked exactly like the one the beautiful woman had used to fix her leg. Wind suddenly came from the backdoor. Was it open this entire time? But she couldn't move. Hisoka roughly tugged her closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around her in an unyielding embrace.

Natsumi shivered at the contact. It reminded her of that time when he had come to save her from the violent man. Her entire hand was aching. She could feel the blood trickling down, which meant that if it was a broken bone, then it had pierced through her skin. How fragile was she, exactly? Who got a broken finger just by having somebody fall on them?

"Never, never, never!" Hisoka suddenly said over and over again. His arms grew tighter, knocking the wind out of her. She could no longer breathe. More tears came. What was going on?

"Never, never!" he repeated again. "Never tell me to stay away from you, princess! My princess! How can you say that to me? It is like telling the peanut butter to stay away from the jelly!"

Did he just snap? Was he going insane? Who could even say that with such a serious tone?

"Hisoka! Enough! Let her go!" Nobunaga yelled, trying to get him off her. "She can't breathe! She's turning pale!"

But Hisoka wouldn't let her go. Nobunaga's interference only made his grip tighter. Yet another crack was heard, and Natsumi inaudibly gasped. Her left rib… it broke. Her eyes slowly turned red… It was as if she was being strangled.

'_I… can't breathe… Please let me go… Let me go… I feel as though I am drowning… He's scaring me so much…'_

"Hisoka!" Nobunaga yelled one last time, taking out his katana from its sheath. Finally, he twirled his sword with his hand and held it like a dagger. With one quick stroke, he stabbed through Hisoka's right shoulder. It went through his arm, but he didn't even seem to feel any pain.

"Machi!" Nobunaga yelled, facing the door. "Get in here!"

In a flash, Machi appeared beside him. Her intimidating face still hadn't changed, even with all the panic and blood in the room.

'_The beautiful woman. She's here after all,'_ Natsumi thought, her eyesight beginning to worsen with the lack of oxygen and the loss of blood. The pain from her ribs didn't even seem to bother her at the moment.

Seeing the scene up close, Machi's lips slightly showed a small frown.

"Hisoka," she said, her voice piercing but feminine. "You are showing your worst side to the person who should be seeing it the least."

In that instant, Hisoka let Natsumi go. He jumped away from her as she fell to the floor, her eyes wide but blank. Her mouth opened sharply as she took in a deep breath of air. Her fingers twitched, causing the injured one to bleed even more. She scratched the floor with her nails, as if trying to feel the place around her. She breathed in deeply again, her torso arching upwards in a reflexive reaction. Her movement made a sickening sound as her broken rib pushed inwards, close to puncturing her lung.

"Natsumi!" Nobunaga ran to her, cradling her in his arms. "Hey, you alive?"

'_I better be…'_

She wasn't even blinking. She stared at the ceiling. It was as if she was having a vision that frightened her. Nobunaga touched her face, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb. Her lips quivered at his touch.

Where was Hisoka? She turned her head to the side. He was on the floor, slumped forward. Nobunaga's sword was still embedded on him. He was bleeding heavily. He was shaking… Was he feeling cold, like she was? The door was open, after all. His fingers were twitching as he looked at his hands, like he couldn't believe what he had just done. Her body shook in fear as she stared at him…

"Princess…" Hisoka finally murmured. He clenched his fists. Machi appeared beside him, grabbing the hilt of the sword from his shoulder. With a fluid motion, she pulled it out. Hisoka didn't even flinch. More blood flowed from his wound.

"Let's go," Machi said, dragging Hisoka by his shirt.

"How about this dude?" Nobunaga asked while gently lifting the still conscious girl in his arms.

"Leave him here," she said, leaving the room. "We'll phone the Kuruta boy to take care of this mess."

---

_I want to leave my mark_

_All over your body_

_Because you are mine_

_And no one else's_

_---_

Gon and Killua jumped in the back of the car. Kurapika went in the driver's seat and revved the engine. Without bothering to wear his seat belt, he sped off into the street.

"Kurapika, slow down!" Gon yelled. "You might hurt someone!"

"Somebody has already been hurt," he replied, making sharp turns despite the red stoplights. People screamed and the tires of other cars screeched.

Gon and Killua looked at each other.

"What exactly happened anyway?" Gon whispered to his best friend.

Killua opened the window and stuck his head outside despite the danger. He went back inside and sighed.

"I can feel Hisoka's nen," he said. "It's pretty erratic right now, like he's mad or something."

"He didn't-"

"Probably did."

They both looked at Kurapika's expression from the rearview mirror. His eyes were turning bright red. He looked absolutely murderous. Gon looked out the window. He could also feel Hisoka's distinct nen, even though he was pretty far away.

"He must've really messed up this time," Gon said.

Kurapika gripped the wheel tighter and gritted his teeth.

"I should never have trusted him with her…"

---

_If you were to disappear_

_I would never know happiness again_

---

They entered through the window of a vacant hotel room.

Nobunaga set Natsumi on the bed. Blood trickled slowly from her mouth. Nobunaga wiped it away with his finger. A few tears escaped her eyes. She was breathing slowly and shallowly to prevent the bone from piercing her lung. Nobunaga untied the Shogun apron and took it off for her.

"Natsumi," he said softly. "Your shirt has to be taken off."

Without saying anything, Natsumi's hands weakly reached for her uniform's blazer. She tried to undo one of the bigger buttons, but her fingers wouldn't stop shaking. She couldn't control them.

'_Hisoka-san… scares me… He scares me so much,'_ she thought. _'But I hope he's okay… He looked so guilty.'_

Nobunaga took her hands and set them down on her lap.

"Machi will do it for you," he said. "You aren't yourself right now."

On cue, the window opened. Machi dumped Hisoka inside and jumped in herself. She stepped on the bleeding clown and stood on top of him, glancing at Natsumi and Nobunaga.

"How is she?" she asked, stepping off Hisoka, who wasn't responding.

Nobunaga's eye twitched as he pointed at the man on the floor. "How is _he_?"

"He's on timeout, thinking about what he's done. I would put a dunce cap on him. If only I had one."

She materialized beside Natsumi, who didn't even notice her presence. Machi took her bloody wrist and felt her pulse.

"Doesn't she usually faint at a time like this?" she asked Nobunaga.

Nobunaga shrugged. "Usually. She's probably too worried to faint, though."

"She's the only one in the world who worries about that dummy's safety. Everybody else worries about what he'll do to them."

Nobunaga grinned, but immediately turned to look after Hisoka. He was still conscious, but he had a defeated expression on his face. Nobunaga set him on a chair and placed Hisoka's bleeding arm on the desk.

"You should've just stabbed me in the heart," Hisoka said. Nobunaga rolled his eyes.

"You sound like an unfaithful husband's wife. Besides, as much as I wanted to, I would've stabbed Natsumi in the process."

Behind them, Machi unbuttoned Natsumi's blazer, followed by her inner blouse.

"We'll take care of your rib first," Machi spoke, taking a needle from the bunch on her wrist. "Then we'll fix your finger."

Natsumi shook her head. She shakily crossed her arms, as if to cover herself in embarrassment.

"Not in front of them… if possible…" she said slowly, coughing. Her rib poked at her lung, and she winced. Machi arched a brow, looking quite scary, though Natsumi still found her really beautiful.

"You have a broken rib and a broken finger. You might not know it, but your collarbone is also quite fractured. And you want me to take the time out to tell these goons to bug off?"

Natsumi smiled sheepishly. "Yes, please…" she repeated.

Machi rolled her eyes. "You are impossible." Machi turned to the two men and snapped her finger. "Get out."

In an instant, Nobunaga pulled Hisoka along and threw him outside, closing the door behind the both of them.

"Machi-san," Natsumi spoke, her eyes slowly beginning to close.

"What now?" she replied, beginning to work on her torso.

"Thank you," Natsumi said, smiling.

Machi was silent for a moment. Her hands moved rapidly in the air as she sewed together the two portions of Natsumi's broken rib. In a matter of seconds, she was done. She bit the thread with her teeth, and it disappeared. The pain was gone, too.

"I'm being paid by Hisoka," Machi finally said. "So it doesn't matter."

'_Hisoka-san is paying her…?'_

Machi set her hands on Natsumi's collarbone, assessing the damage.

"Still… thank you," Natsumi said. Machi began to sew the cracked collarbone.

"Pleasure."

---

Hisoka and Nobunaga were finally allowed to enter the room. Natsumi was only wearing her un-tucked blouse now, though still a bit bloody. Hisoka stared at her, wariness in his eyes. He sat down on the other side of the bed, his back facing her. Natsumi looked at the floor, not knowing what to do. Her body wouldn't relax in his presence. Well, he _did_ hurt her after all.

"Let me see your arm," Machi said, walking over to him.

"No," Hisoka retorted when she tried to touch his arm.

Natsumi turned around, wondering if she had heard right.

'_He doesn't want it fixed? Is he insane?'_

"Don't be difficult, Hisoka," Machi said, still quite nonchalant.

"I won't pay you even if you fixed it," he said.

"Is that so? Okay then," Machi replied, walking back to Natsumi's side.

'_No! It's not okay!'_ Natsumi's thoughts raged. _'I want to tell him… But I'm just so afraid…'  
_

It was quiet for a long moment. Nobunaga was cleaning his katana in the bathroom with running water from the tub while Machi read the hotel's menu. She probably couldn't order though, since this room wasn't registered. Hisoka was still on the bed, his head bowed down, and the saddest expression on his blood began dripping on the bed, but he didn't notice. Why were they all here, as if they were waiting for something to happen? Or maybe it was precisely that. They were waiting.

"Are we… waiting for something?" Natsumi asked, trying not to look at anybody.

Nobunaga twisted the faucet off and stepped out from the bathroom, wiping his katana with a towel. He glanced at Machi, a silent signal to let her answer the question.

"Yeah, you could say that," Machi replied, not taking her eyes off the menu. She stood up. "I'm suddenly hungry. I'm gonna go get us some food."

She opened the window and jumped off.

'_I'm supposed to think that jumping off a window at this height is ridiculous, and yet here I am, accepting it as a fact of everyday life…' _Natsumi sighed.

She sat on the bed again, closer to Hisoka this time. She set her hands on her lap as she toyed with her fingers. Being closer to him made her hands shake even more. She looked at him from the corner of her eye, and as if he knew she looked at him, he turned his head away from her. Natsumi clenched a weak fist.

Nobunaga turned on the TV. A late-night sitcom was on. Fake audience laughter played every now and then. But the atmosphere wouldn't lighten up. Nobunaga turned it off again and stared at the two. Natsumi was obviously practicing what to say in her head. She looked so frightened. Hisoka was as blank as ever. He probably wanted to kill himself right now.

"Hisoka-san," she finally spoke.

He flinched at the sound of her unsteady voice. She was so unsure right now, so uneasy. He faced her, but she suddenly pushed herself backwards and put her arms in front of her, as if to protect herself. Hisoka's breathing deepened.

"I'm sorry," she said, still keeping her arms in front of her. "This is trauma… My body reacts on its own sometimes… But I'm not afraid of you…"

"Please don't lie to make me feel better, princess," he said, standing up to move away. But she flung herself towards him and took his bleeding arm, gripping it tightly.

"Okay, I won't…" she said. "I am… really afraid of you…"

'_Why am I acting this way…?' _her thoughts went on and on.

"Then, please stay away from me," he said, using his free hand to touch her shoulder, gently pushing her away.

She gasped silently as tears came. His mere action made her body react so fearfully. She looked like she was shivering. He immediately let go. He gritted his teeth.

"You are so afraid of me…" he said, a pained voice surfacing. To him, this was even more heart wrenching than watching her forget who he was. "I cannot blame you. I am such a brute, after all."

'_Why have I already forgiven him for what he did to Itsuki-kun and me…? Why can't I get mad at him like I did earlier?'_

Natsumi shook her head. "Just give it time," she said, resting her head on his bloody arm. "I will get used to it soon… It will be like taming a wild animal."

'_Why do I want to be so close to him?'_

"Now, now, princess. I am the beast here, and you are the maiden in the high tower. I am the reason you cannot come down. I am the one you fear the most."

"No," Natsumi said, shaking her head. She smiled. "You are not a beast…"

"Princess…"

"You can't be…" she said. "Because you are my knight."

Hisoka fell to his knees, his eyes wide. Natsumi wrapped her arms around him as he leaned on her.

Machi jumped in with bags of food. She stopped midway upon seeing the two bloody pair. She turned to Nobunaga, who had tears in his eyes. She shot him a questioning look.

"They didn't even remember I was here," Nobunaga said, sniffing. "It was so beautiful. So cheesy and so cliché, but oh-so-beautiful."

In a flash, Machi and Nobunaga turned serious as they looked at the door. A second later, the door was kicked open, and Kurapika barged in. Gon and Killua followed closely behind him.

"Doctor?!" Natsumi yelled, shaking her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

He gazed her… and the blood that was all over her. His expression turned murderous. His eyes glowed bright red. Hisoka glanced at him, annoyance written all over his face. He stood up.

"You ruined the mood," Hisoka said. "But don't make a wrong first impression now."

Kurapika growled. "I don't care what she thinks of me, as long as she's safe."

"What's going on?!" Natsumi yelled.

Hisoka grinned. "Your doctor isn't really a doctor, my princess."

"What?" she looked at Hisoka. He had a naughty smile on his face, but he was serious.

"That's right, Natsumi," Kurapika said. He didn't call her formally anymore.

"Then who are you?!" Natsumi yelled.

"I'm really sorry," he said, his face still showing fierceness. "I won't be able to tell you. You'll have to live in the dark."

"Easy, now!" Gon said, trying to calm Kurapika down.

"Aren't you just here for this?" Machi interrupted, showing the memory card in her hand. Kurapika eyed it for a moment, and then turned back to Hisoka.

"I will take that with me later," Kurapika said. "But right now, I'm here to take Natsumi away from you permanently."

Hisoka arched a brow. "Hmm? And how are you going to do that, exactly?"

Kurapika raised his hand, and his chains began to flail around violently. The room became windy, even though Natsumi was sure that Machi closed the window.

"I am going to kill you."

---

End of chapter!

How was that? I really don't have much to say except that I hope you guys liked it!

Please review and tell me what you thought about it!


	18. Bloody Remedy

How is everyone doing? Here is the next chapter!!! I'm fresh out of finals week, so forgive me if this is short. I worked hard on it, though. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter or its characters. I own the OC Natsumi and things related to her.

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 17: Bloody Remedy**

**---**

_Are you looking for me_

_Just as I am looking for you?_

_Let us find each other quickly_

_I must be with you_

---

"_I will take that from you later," Kurapika said, ignoring the memory card in Machi's hand. "But right now, I'm here to take Natsumi away from you permanently."_

_Hisoka arched a brow. "Hmm? And how are you going to do that, exactly?"_

_Kurapika raised his hand, and his chains began to flail around violently. The room became windy, even though Natsumi was sure that Machi closed the window._

"_I am going to kill you."_

---

Hisoka grinned widely and crossed his arms, as if to mock his sincerity. He didn't seem to be distressed at all. Natsumi couldn't move. Her mouth hung open as she tried to dissect his words.

'_Kill… him? Doctor Kei…' _the words were loud in her mind. _'Doesn't he just mean… to severely injure him… or something? But not… kill! How can someone say it so easily like that?'_

"Kill me, you say?" Hisoka said, his tone light and playful. "My, my. Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?"

Natsumi glanced at the man beside her, confused. Why wasn't he taking it seriously? That man just threatened to take his life, didn't he? What was with that laidback attitude? It just wasn't right.

"Killua, Gon," Kurapika spoke, "This will end badly. Take Natsumi with you."

'_Killua?'_ Natsumi eyed the white-haired boy. _'The younger brother of the school's prince, Illumi-kun?'_

Killua and Gon looked at each other, and then nodded. Together, they strode towards Natsumi, deftly avoiding Kurapika's spell of chains. When they reached her, Gon bowed down politely. He gave her a sympathetic expression.

"I'm sorry about this, Natsumi-chan," he sighed. "But it's dangerous over here right now."

Killua took Natsumi's arm, but Hisoka grabbed his head in return.

"If the princess herself wishes to be escorted out, then I will allow it."

Natsumi panicked internally. What was she supposed to do? As far as she was concerned, Hisoka was her hero, and the scary doctor was somebody whose role she hadn't clearly figured out yet.

"Princess?" Hisoka called out, still holding on to Killua's head. "Would you like to go with them?"

Natsumi clenched her fist and pulled away from Killua, who gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"I…I will stay by Hisoka-san… for now…"

Killua rolled his eyes. Gon held her shoulders and gazed at her for a long time.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Natsumi-chan, you have to be sure that you want to stay with Hisoka-san."

Natsumi wanted to push him away. Why was this kid being so… concerned? What did Hisoka ever do to them for him to merit such negative response?

"…It's just for now, Gon-san…" she said, smiling. "Yeah…just for now, until I've figured something out."

That seemed to reassure him. Gon and Killua went back behind Kurapika, who didn't like the development at all. His eyes narrowed at the clown before him.

Kurapika took a heavy step forward. The wind grew stronger, and the chains went closer. Hisoka raised his arm protectively in front of Natsumi, his smile slowly fading away. He gave Kurapika an arrogant look, just as one gave to a pest that needed to be driven away.

"Watch yourself now, young man," he said, his playful voice sounding a bit more serious than last time. "I could care less if you hit my little Gon-Gon. However, if you even accidentally hurt my princess, I will make sure that you will experience the highest level of pain imaginable."

Kurapika didn't seem too pleased. The wind died down as his chains disappeared. Hisoka grinned again, curiosity tickling his interest. Kurapika turned his gaze to Natsumi, who instinctively took a step back in wariness. His frown deepened. Was that pain in his eyes?

"Look at yourself, Natsumi," he said, his voice sounding strained. "Can't you see how much you are shaking right now?"

Natsumi raised her hands to look at them. Her hands were shaking as violently as a seizure would allow. Her knees suddenly felt weak as soon as she was aware of them, and she almost fell to the floor if she hadn't leaned on the wall behind her. Her lips silently quivered, and heavy beads of sweat were rolling off her forehead and arms.

"You are very afraid of him," he went on. "Your body would not be reacting this way if you weren't. Your body will try its best to keep itself away from danger. For once, listen to what it's trying to tell you."

'_Well, of course I'd be this way!_' her thoughts were erratic. '_Hisoka-san… accidentally hurt me, after all.'_

He clenched his fist upon receiving no response.

"Do you really know what kind of person he is?" he asked, his voice hauntingly calm.

Gon grabbed his arm.

"No, Kurapika," he pleaded. "You mustn't say anything rash."

'_Kurapika…?' _Natsumi pondered. _'His name isn't Doctor Kei, then?'_

"Of course, I must!" Kurapika pushed him aside. "How else is she going to understand?!"

'_Understand what?'_ Natsumi shook her head silently. _'Is he going to tell me what's going on?'_

Hisoka frowned now. He took a threatening step forward, but Kurapika didn't back down.

"Be careful now, Mr. James Blonde," Hisoka frowned, his voice heavy with taunting. "What you do or say from this point onwards will determine the intensity of your demise afterwards."

Kurapika smirked. "Do as you please. That way, you can show her what you're really like."

Hisoka seemed even more annoyed, but his silence seemed deadly.

"How many people have you killed?" Kurapika asked, his smirk deepening with the last word.

Natsumi's eyes widened as he spoke. _'What…?'_

A playing card flew through the air towards Kurapika, but he merely moved his head to the side as it whizzed by.

"I guess it's a difficult question," Kurapika continued speaking. "I probably would have lost count after the first few hundred, too. Women, children, elders. It doesn't matter, right?"

Natsumi fell on her knees, her head hanging loosely as she looked at the two men in front of her. A petrified expression seemed to permanently etch itself on her face.

'_The first…few hundred? Women and children?'_

Hisoka looked absolutely enraged by then, though he kept still. He wouldn't dare look at Natsumi.

"Of course, you refuse to attack me now," Kurapika went on. "Not while she's watching. So let's talk instead. Tell us all just how much you lust for violence and how much you thirst for blood. Tell us how carnage is your drug, and how you experience withdrawal symptoms if you go even a day without taking someone's life. Tell your precious princess how you've even tried to kill her in the past!"

Natsumi inaudibly gasped, setting both of her trembling hands on her mouth. Her eyes were open wide and unblinking…

'_What?'_ Natsumi's lips quivered. _'He… he has tried to kill me…? Hisoka-san, the person who has kindly saved me from horrible situations? He couldn't! Could he? But why am I so quick to believe Kurapika-san? Who is he to me?'_

"You really know how to annoy me, don't you?" Hisoka said, showing a terrifying deep scowl. "You didn't really have to go all the way just to tell her that, did you? She doesn't even know who I am yet."

Kurapika frowned.

"Yet?" he echoed. "So you were planning on telling her after all. I knew you couldn't be trusted."

Another gust of wind surged through the entire room. In a flash, a single chain appeared, lashing through the air towards Hisoka. But instead of jumping away, Hisoka raised his hand and allowed it to wrap around his arm. It tightened even more, making a sickening tearing noise as it tore through his skin and muscles.

"You already know what happens once I have caught you," Kurapika said, walking closer. "Are you giving up? Or are you trying to show her that I am the bad guy around here?"

Hisoka smiled now, his eyes shrinking into mere slits.

"Well, you _are_ the bad guy in this story," he said with a mocking tone. "The jealous mistress, the hunchbacked witch, the crazy mother-in-law. My, my, why are all my metaphors of female orientation?"

The chain tightened some more, cutting through even more muscle. Hisoka didn't even flinch. Kurapika grabbed him by his vest and lifted him in the air. Natsumi watched on.

'_It's really happening! What am I doing sitting here like a duck?!'_

She wanted to push them both down. She wanted to be stronger than they were. She wanted to put an end to all the confusion. But she couldn't. She was just too scared… And this was all happening just a few feet from where she stood.

"What exactly are you doing, trying to act like a saint?" Kurapika asked, venom staining his words.

Hisoka's grin grew wider. "If we were to fight here, my princess would surely get hurt. Chains aren't too reliable, you know."

Kurapika threw him to the wall, which broke down into rubble. The hotel room next to them was empty. Machi and Nobunaga sat on the bed, waiting for it to end. Killua began to play a game on his little portable game console, while Gon watched worriedly.

"I would never hurt my friends," Kurapika snarled. "Much unlike you, giving her a deadly embrace like that. You almost killed her!"

In that instant, Hisoka gripped the chain from under the big chunks of the broken wall. He pulled it towards him, pulling Kurapika along with him. In one fluid motion, Hisoka punched his face… hard. The blonde boy flew to the other side of the room, his chain still wrapped around his opponent's arm.

"I forgot…" Hisoka said, standing up, sounding weakly defensive. "…just how weak she really is. I am like a kid and a little pet hamster in his hands…squeezing so tightly because it was just too cute. I would gladly jump out the window of this building and land painfully on the floor if my princess wishes, if only to feel the pain I caused her."

Natsumi glanced at the brooding clown. '_Is_ _he crazy?!'_

"How could I have stopped myself," he continued. "when she was right there for me to take? She told me to stay away, thinking I was there to cause her harm. How does one react to that? It was poison to my heart. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on me!"

Kurapika stood up shakily. His cheek was red and slightly swollen from Hisoka's punch. He gritted his teeth.

"Don't mess with me!" Kurapika yelled. "I will kill you tonight, so that she will never remember. She is safest that way!"

Natsumi stood up, her eyes narrowing. _'Kurapika-san isn't even hiding the fact that there is something I clearly don't remember. Killing Hisoka-san is killing the source of information. But what kind of information? Something in that memory card? Or… something else? Something more dangerous than Hisoka-san himself?'_

Hisoka was pulled forward again. It was Kurapika's turn to land a strong punch. Hisoka fell to the ground. More chains wrapped around his body, tightening with every second. Hisoka flinched for the very first time. Another chain slowly wrapped around his neck, like a snake.

Natsumi clenched her shirt, close to where her heart was beating the strongest.

'_I think… there is something else that Kurapika-san doesn't want me to know…'_

Kurapika stepped on Hisoka's chest as he glared down at him. Blood trickled down from Hisoka's lips.

"How about restrictions on something that requires honesty? You may be the best liar in town, but you know what'll happen if you disobey."

'_Restrictions…?'_ Natsumi asked herself. Another chain swiftly appeared. It was too fast for her to see, but… it went through his chest.

Hisoka's eyes twitched. It was more painful than he had predicted.

'_It pierced through the sternum!'_ Natsumi yelled in her head. _'Doesn't that hurt?! Hisoka-san, wipe that stupid grin off of your face! If it hurts, say so! I will save you this time!'_

"So let me lay down the rules," Kurapika spoke, his voice heavy with meaning. "First of all, you must-"

"ENOUGH!"

Natsumi's voice was loud and demanding. It was the first time she had said anything after everything had started. Kurapika glanced at her, his red eyes watching her every move. Hisoka looked at her from the ground, his grin reduced to a small smile. His eyes gave a hint of worrying suspicion.

"It isn't really Hisoka-san you're trying to keep away from me, is it?" Natsumi finally said after the long pause.

Kurapika didn't change his expression, but Natsumi could tell, from the quick twitch of his lips, that she was right. Besides, Hisoka's grin grew wider. Something about what she said fascinated him.

"It might be a person or bits of information. I don't know. But Hisoka-san knows who or what it is, and he's willing to tell me, which is why you want to silence him forever. Correct?"

"You're wrong."

Kurapika's voice seemed to be dominant. Natsumi almost flinched. He didn't show any hint of deception. He said it with such a straight face and an unwavering voice; how could one not believe him? Natsumi's chest tightened from his response. Either she was really wrong, or he could lie really well. Her confidence faded.

The chain around Hisoka's torso tightened slowly but silently, rendering the crazy grinning man unable to take in much breath. Natsumi noticed. And her confidence came back.

"Hisoka-san knows I'm right," she said. "Tightening your chain around him proves it."

"How so?" Kurapika asked, although he knew she had already figured him out. He tightened the chains around Hisoka's chest even more, making him cough out blood and lose more reserves of air.

"Tightening the chains is the same as tightening the lungs. He can't breathe, therefore he can't speak… so he can't tell me I'm right. I already know, so loosen it up!"

Kurapika still didn't change his expression. He was good at keeping things… and it was very scary. Natsumi held her arms, as if she were feeling cold, if only to make them stop trembling.

"I've met everyone here during my alleged coma. No one denies that something has happened…"

She furrowed her brows in deep thought. She lowered her head, the mechanisms of her brain working overtime. She clenched her fists.

"Before tonight, everyone was desperately trying to conceal their identities from me, so why the sudden change of plan? Right now, it doesn't seem to matter that I know there are things I don't remember, particularly our connections with one another. That only leads me to conclude that there is something bigger than simply knowing who you people are. The hidden identities… It's somewhat of a red herring."

The chains tightened around Hisoka even more, making Kurapika's acknowledgement apparent. Could the smiling man even breathe? He was bleeding all over!

"And your point?" Kurapika asked, his emotions raging inside. It was too difficult for him to be looked at by Natsumi as a bad person.

"You're hiding somebody else from me," she said, point blank. "You trust Nobunaga-san and Machi-san to keep their mouths shut, but you don't trust Hisoka-san. That is why you want to kill him."

Kurapika's face showed a hint of annoyance now. It frightened Natsumi even more.

"You have an imaginative mind," Kurapika said, his voice flat. "What are you going to do, then?"

Natsumi gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, giving Kurapika a powerful and penetrating glare.

"You will not kill Hisoka-san," she said. "I will not allow it. He knows something important, and I like important things."

Natsumi ran to Nobunaga.

"Seeking comrades?" Kurapika asked, his red eyes narrowing.

Natsumi frowned. Without taking her eyes off Kurapika, she grabbed Nobunaga's katana and unsheathed it.

"You are going to fight?" Kurapika asked, almost mockingly. "You can barely pass Gym, Natsumi."

"I will fight," she said. "Like this."

She raised the heavy sword and lifted her chin. She rested the sharp side on the side of her neck. Her shaking hands didn't make it too easy for her to carry the heavy weapon. A thin red line appeared where the blade touched her neck, bleeding a little.

"I will give you a real life Restriction, Kurapika-san. The consequence should you disobey my command is the severing of my carotid artery. Now, with all due respect, please let Hisoka-san go."

---

End of chapter! Yay! How was that, everyone? I hope you all enjoyed it! Summer is here, so I'll be updating more often! Have a fun vacation!!!


	19. Rapid Exchange

Hello, everyone! How are you guys? Here is another installment of my fanfic! I like this chapter, so I hope you guys do too! I am excited to hear what you guys think! Okay, I'll shut up now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own Natsumi!

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 18: Rapid Exchange**

---

_Previously:_

_Natsumi grabbed Nobunaga's katana and unsheathed it._

"_You are going to fight?" Kurapika asked mockingly. "You can barely pass Gym."_

"_I will fight," she said. "Like this."_

_She raised the heavy sword and lifted her chin, resting the sharp side on her neck. Her shaking hands didn't make it too easy for her to carry the heavy weapon. A thin red line appeared where the blade touched her neck, bleeding a little._

"_I will give you a real life Restriction, Kurapika-san. The consequence should you disobey my command is the severing of my carotid artery. Now, with all due respect, please let Hisoka-san go."_

---

Kurapika froze in place, his fierce eyes wide in shock. Did he hear her correctly? Was this really Natsumi speaking? After all, she was a thinker, not a doer. Most, if not all of the time, she would be trapped in her own deliberations without actually doing anything. So when she rarely acted upon her thoughts, she was highly confident with the resulting outcome. Just what was she planning?

"You're kidding, right?" Kurapika shrugged off his surprised expression, replacing it with a mocking one instead. "Despite all the injuries you've sustained throughout your life, you are still quite afraid of extreme physical pain."

Natsumi's hands weren't steady at all. The katana didn't seem heavy when it was in Nobunaga's hands, but now that she had it in hers, she knew otherwise. She could hardly bring it up to her neck. How was she supposed to look convincing when she was shaking like this?

"No," she said a few seconds too late, making it obvious that she was distracted by the weight of the sword. "I'm not."

Kurapika frowned.

"You can't lie to me, Natsumi," he said. "Even the way you held the obviously dull and crumpled hospital release forms told me that you were trying to avoid papercuts."

Natsumi tightened her grip on the katana. He was right. Even the thought about getting a papercut made her feel queasy. Just who was this guy, really? How much did he know about her? But her plan was gonna work. She knew it. She glanced at Hisoka. He was staring at her, worry and confusion evident in his eyes.

"Let him go!" she yelled now, having seen Hisoka's penetrating gaze. "Hurry up, or I start slicing!"

To emphasize her point, she pressed harder on her neck and pulled the katana forward, as if slicing meat. She gritted her teeth, wincing because of the pain. It didn't help that she was a bleeder; she could feel the blood trickling down to her neck.

Kurapika narrowed his eyes, looking even deadlier than before. He jerked a finger, and the chain around Hisoka's torso loosened up a bit. Hisoka took a deep breath of air, but consequently coughed out more blood.

"Princess, you are… making me panic," he said in between coughs. "Please put the scary knife down."

"No!" she said in a child's defying tone. "I won't!"

Kurapika grabbed Hisoka by his shirt, pulling him upwards roughly. Natsumi took a step forward, cutting herself deeper once more.

"What are you planning?" she asked, suspicious of his movements. "I thought I told you to let him go!"

"Stop shouting," Kurapika said. "I'm not deaf."

"You aren't listening to me!" she shouted even louder. "Let Hisoka-san go!"

Kurapika growled and gripped Hisoka's neck with his other hand. Hisoka's face went paler than usual with the ceased flow of blood. Natsumi's breathing deepened as her heart raced faster. Just what was he going to do?

"Why are you protecting him?" Kurapika asked, pained confusion tainting his voice. "Despite all the warnings I've given you, he's still the one you believe."

This was too confusing. One minute, this Kurapika person would be so menacing, and then so wounded and tender the next. And for that, she didn't want to hurt him either. She scoffed mentally. How could she hurt anybody? She must be kidding herself.

"It's not that I believe Hisoka-san…" she said, her voice barely above a whisper now. It's just that… out of everyone in this room… it is you who I am actually the most afraid of right now."

And Kurapika froze in place again, dropping Hisoka in the process. The latter coughed out again, taking in deep breaths. Kurapika stood in place, his eyes now flickering from red to dark brown. After a few seconds, the bright crimson color completely disappeared.

"You are... afraid of me?" he asked, his voice hushed and low.

Natsumi swallowed hard, nodding her head. "Yes… I am." Was she just imagining things, or did Kurapika sound like he was badly hurt… inside?

"And will you really… cut your neck open… for this guy?"

Hisoka watched as his princess slowly pressed the katana deeper into her neck. She was really going to go through with it… He could tell.

"You have to remember what you are afraid of, Natsumi," he said. "Isn't drowning one of your worst fears?"

Natsumi shook her head roughly. She was on the verge of cracking and just crying. Preying on her fears was the best way to break her wall of security.

"It is, isn't it?" he asked, though he wasn't really waiting for her to answer. "A person can't just drown in water, you know. A person can drown in his or her own blood, too. And that's what's going to happen if you go through with it."

A tear escaped her eye. Hisoka shakily glanced at her. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but every heartbeat was painful and it prevented him from doing so. With a single move, Kurapika could end his life. With a single move, Hisoka would no longer be able to tease anyone. How could she win with a single move of her own?

"Tell me, Natsumi…" he continued. "Will you really kill yourself for this murderer?!"

Natsumi took a step back. He made it sound so terrible. And of course it was.

Was she really going to do that just for Hisoka? She looked at the man on the ground. More blood was trickling down his mouth. How much pain was he in right now? She was sure that he had the highest level of tolerance of pain she could ever imagine. Seeing him hurt like this meant what?

She took a deep breath and let it out, glaring softly at Kurapika. That was really what was at stake here… Her life.

"Are you going to let him go?" she asked, as if the answer to that question determined the outcome.

There was a quick moment of silence. Then, he lifted a finger, tightening the chains around Hisoka again.

"No."

Natsumi frowned then, realizing Kurapika's thoughts. "You don't believe that I'd actually do it, huh?"

Kurapika braced himself for what was to happen. He really didn't know the answer to that. Was she really going to do it, or wasn't she? Did she have another plan, or was this the plan itself? Did she really think that he'd let Hisoka roam free just because she killed herself? No. She wouldn't kill herself. That's right. She still wanted to find out what he was trying to hide, so she wouldn't end her life here.

"No," he finally said, confident that he had outsmarted Natsumi for once.

But he was dead wrong. Natsumi shuddered, knowing what was to come next. She glanced at Hisoka a final time and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Watch this, Hisoka-san."

She tightened her grip on the katana and bit on her tongue hard. Kurapika lurched forward to reach for her.

"Natsumi, don't-!"

But he didn't make it in time. Pressing down brutally on her neck, she slid the sword forward and around her neck, slitting more than just her carotid artery. Her eyes widened in the pain, but she couldn't cry out. The feeling was just… disturbing. She's had countless papercuts before, but never had she actually hurt herself on purpose. Kurapika was right: she really was afraid of pain. Why was she doing this again?

She fell to her knees, dropping the sword. She slumped forward and continued to fall sideways. Her eyes weren't closing, but no tears seemed to come either. Was her brain in such shock because the unthinkable actually happened? Her lungs instinctively expanded in hopes for gaining air, but all they got was more blood than oxygen. She choked loudly, and the rough movements of her throat forced more blood out off her. The pain was unbearable, and not being able to breathe just made it worse. Just like Kurapika said, she was drowning.

She felt Kurapika rush to her side, which meant that he had left Hisoka behind. If not for all the choking, she would have smiled.

'_Now's your chance, Hisoka-san! Run!'_

And she felt another set of arms wrap around her… a very familiar feeling. Beyond the tears that were now forming, she saw Hisoka's apprehensive face next to hers.

"My princess, what have you done to yourself?!"

Kurapika pushed Hisoka away, making the clown hit the closet and breaking it. He took Natsumi in his arms and headed for the door, Gon and Killua followed him out. Hisoka aimed for Kurapika's leg and threw a card, causing him to fall and nearly drop Natsumi.

"Get your stinky dog-paws off her," Hisoka said, gently picking Natsumi off of the floor. Kurapika thrusted his arm forward, releasing another chain which pierced through Hisoka's already heavily injured arm.

"Let go of her!" Kurapika yelled, tugging on his weapon, causing Hisoka to fly to the wall again. Kurapika took his shirt off and pressed it against her heavily bleeding neck. She was coughing again and again. That wasn't good. More and more oxygen was leaving her while none was going in.

Her arms flailed wildly while her legs kicked the air.

"Natsumi! Hold still!" he shouted. "I'll get you to Leorio. He is a friend, and he has wanted to meet you since the beginning. So please…"

But she wasn't listening. Heck, she couldn't even hear much aside from her own gurgling. It was getting pretty hot, too. She was probably sweating a lot right now. Bloody and sweaty. That was the way to make an impression.

She punched the air and accidentally scratched Kurapika's face, which was still quite bruised from Hisoka's previous punch. He ran for the elevator, slightly limping because of the deep cut in his leg.

"Princess!" Hisoka shouted after them. He punched the wall beside him, causing it to crumble to pieces. Taking a large block, he threw it towards Kurapika, hitting his head with it. Kurapika dropped to one knee, still cradling Natsumi in his arms.

Kurapika turned, his eyes once again turning red. Hisoka took a step forward.

"Will that silly man really be able to help?" he asked.

Kurapika stood up, clutching Natsumi closer to him.

"Yes, he will. Leorio is the best doctor in York Shin."

Hisoka lowered his head in defeat. He couldn't believe it. Was he really leaving her to the unreliable hands of these weak creatures? He hadn't lost sight of her ever since that dirty man had attacked her. Would she be safe without him?

"If anything else goes wrong with my princess… all of your heads will be mine."

Kurapika nodded. "Understood."

He ran to the elevator once again. However, after a few steps, Machi appeared in front of him, her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Hand Natsumi over. Or have you already forgotten just what I can do?"

Before Kurapika could even say anything, Nobunaga pulled him from behind as Machi took Natsumi from his arms. Setting her on the floor, Machi began to work on her neck.

Kurapika stood stiffly, his fists clenched on either side. Nobunaga leaned on the wall and crossed his arms, shaking his head.

"One of Natsumi's intuitive gifts," Nobunaga said as he watched. "Is making people think that her actions are bulletproof just because she rarely acts her plans out. The only problem today was that her life was the gamble."

"Quit talking and hold her down," Machi snapped. Kurapika dropped to his knees and held on to Natsumi's wrists while Nobunaga restrained her convulsing legs.

"Hisoka," Machi called out. "Come over here and talk to her. We need her awake for this."

But Hisoka remained far away, standing beside the doorway, next to Gon and Killua, his head hung low in blank contemplation. Kurapika turned to look at him, wondering why he wasn't skipping his way happily despite knowing that his princess needed him.

"Coward," he muttered under his breath, although it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

He turned his attention back to Natsumi, holding on to her hands this time.

"Natsumi, can you hear me? I'm right here with you."

At that instant, Natsumi blindly traced the metal links on his fingers, clasping their hands together tightly afterwards. Kurapika's breathing suddenly stopped, his heart suddenly beating stronger and faster.

"That's it, blond boy," Machi said as she worked her way around Natsumi's neck, her hands moving faster than the wheels of a high-speed vehicle. "She's responding to your voice. Keep it up."

Hisoka's heart stopped. He sharply jerked his head upwards after hearing Machi's words. What did she say? His princess was responding to another man's voice? That was impossible! He took a step forward, but Gon grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, his innocent voice sounding pensive.

"I am going to tell him to let go of my princess."

"But she's holding on to him too, isn't she?"

Hisoka stared at the two affixed hands, his blood boiling at the sight.

"But she doesn't like him."

Killua sighed. "She didn't like you in the beginning either."

That seemed to do it. Hisoka growled low and ran towards them, losing his inhibition from before. But once again, he was stopped, this time by Machi.

"Quit messing around, Hisoka," she said in between stitches. "It's your turn to keep still. It's her life at stake." She narrowed her eyes as she threaded the cells together, leaving minute scars behind. Every now and then, Natsumi would cough, making more blood pour out of her wound and causing Machi to mess up her stitches. It was taking longer than usual, and it left everyone an unsettling sense of disaster.

"Natsumi," Kurapika whispered. "You're doing well. Natsumi… I'll take care of you, I promise. You can hear me, right? So bear with it a little longer. It'll be over soon… After all this, when you wake up, I will be right beside you."

---

_Imprison me in a bottle_

_Keep me in a leash_

_As long as I am with you_

_I don't care what you do_

---

She could hear it again, the soft humming of the hospital machines. How many were attached to her this time? She slowly opened her eyes. The room wasn't that brightly lit. The curtains only allowed a little sunlight to pierce through the space in the middle, and the lights were turned off. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. The texture of the sheets and the softness of the bed were very similar to those of before, so she knew she was in York Shin General again.

"Natsumi…"

She glanced to her right. There, sitting next to her, was Kurapika. He looked absolutely tired, like he hadn't slept in days. He gave her a soft smile, slowly reaching for her hand. This time, she didn't pull away.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Uhh… I am… okay…" she murmured. "Where is-"

Kurapika roughly stood up and pulled her towards him in a crushing embrace, setting his hand on her head in an endearing manner.

"Forgive me, Natsumi," he said, closing his eyes and furrowing his brows in deep thought. "Because of me, you felt the need to hurt yourself. Though your safety was my only aim, I seemed to have taken the worst possible route in order to get there. So forgive me... Please."

Natsumi was silent at first, but she giggled soon after. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she buried her face in his neck.

"I… I forgive you, of course," she said. "At first, I was really afraid of you and what you'd do to Hisoka-san. But… even though you had the chance to end his life, you didn't, right? Instead, you tried to save me and even held my hand. My mind was all over the place and I was really on the brink of passing out. I couldn't understand what you were saying, but I could hear your voice. So… thank you for that. And besides, my plan went perfectly."

"I was curious about that… What exactly was your plan anyway?"

"Hmm… I never really wanted to kill myself to begin with. Machi-san was there, so I knew she'd fix me. The only miscalculation I had was the amount of time that it took for you guys to remember what she could do."

Kurapika chuckled, closing his eyes and running his fingers through her hair. He let out a sigh, contented and happy.

"You are… a very precious friend, Natsumi…"

Natsumi's cheeks burnt red and she fell silent, not knowing what to say. Were they close friends before she lost her memories of him? Were they… _more_ than friends? With the way he was, it seemed like it. How was she supposed to know? Suddenly, there were loud but muffled voices from outside the door.

"What are you doing there standing like a statue, Hisoka?"

That was Gon outside. And did he say Hisoka was there, too? The door opened and Gon walked in, followed by a sleepy Killua. Hisoka stood in the doorway, a wide grin on his face. He was carrying a plastic bag of food in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other.

Natsumi quickly squirmed out of Kurapika's arms as she beamed at Hisoka.

"Hisoka-san!"

He walked over and handed her the cup of hot chocolate.

"For you, my princess," he said, still grinning. His voice wasn't as playful, though. She stared blankly at him. Kurapika took the cup from him and set it on the side table.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

He flashed a wider grin and set his hand on her head, but upon contact, she flinched away from him. Hisoka's eyes slightly widened, but went back to normal in a fraction of a second.

"I'm sorry!" she said, slapping her own face. "I… I really am happy to see you… to see that you are safe."

Kurapika wrapped his arms around her, a sympathetic look clouding his features. She didn't push him away.

"No worries, princess!" he said playfully. "But didn't you say you were afraid of this very horrible man who tried to kill me?"

Natsumi toyed with her fingers. She knew she'd have to deal with this. She just didn't know he'd come to visit so quickly, though she should've known he'd pop up sooner rather than later. She hadn't really sorted out whatever it was she was feeling. During times like these, it was best to just say it as it was.

"I… I was. But…after Kurapika-san tried to save me and even held my hand instead of going after you… I guess I realized that I was being hasty in my judgment. He is a good person."

Hisoka raised his brows in pretended amusement.

"Oh, princess! I must increase my guard! I think the military might already be in search for you as they are in desperate need of your skills! Tell me, with the way I bend over like this, do you think I am a shy introvert?"

He bent over like a ballerina, with his chest out and one of his legs dangling flexibly straight in the air. Natsumi's face went hot again, embarrassed.

"D-don't make fun of me!" she yelled.

The door opened again, distracting everyone. A tall man, sporting a white doctor's coat, walked in. He had short black hair, tanned skin, and sunglasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. He had a wide grin on his face as he hummed a tune, marching like a proud emperor.

"Ooh, the patient is awake! Good morning to you, Natsumi-chan!"

He had a loud, booming voice. He sounded clumsy too, which made Natsumi doubt that he was actually a doctor. Was this another trick?

"This isn't another trick, Natsumi," Kurapika said, as if reading her mind. "This is Leorio. He is the best doctor here in York Shin. You're lucky to have him look after you."

Natsumi jumped off the bed and shakily bowed down.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she said, trying to read his face. Why did he look so happy? Was he always like that?

"Watch it, Natsumi," Kurapika held her elbow. "You lost a lot of blood, so you might still feel a little lightheaded."

Leorio rubbed his chin in thought.

"He's right, you know. Now, sit down for me, please."

Natsumi obliged and sat on the bed. Hisoka narrowed his eyes at the sight of Kurapika holding on to her like he did. Why did Natsumi allow him to do as he pleased with her? Why wouldn't she let him touch her like that?

"You got injured pretty bad, but you were patched up perfectly by Machi. The only problem is, you lost a ridiculously large amount of blood. Soooo, what I want you to do is eat lots of food with iron in 'em. Take iron supplements, too. Drink lots of fluids, preferably sweet and fruity ones because your blood sugar level is pretty low. Hot drinks like the hot chocolate that Hisoka gave you is a no-no for now. Sorry. Oh, and keep off any physical stuff for a few weeks, unless you want to have fainting spells far worse than what your medical records indicate. Soooo, that's all for now."

He patted Natsumi's head, as if even her silence was simply adorable.

"You're just as Kurapika described! I've been dying to meet you, you know! Mind if I take a picture of you and carry it around in my wallet?"

Natsumi took a step backward, wary of his intentions. Just what was he saying? Was he really the best doctor in York Shin? How can a person be the best doctor anyway, since there were different kinds, such as ophthalmologists, neurologists, anesthesiologists… even dentists and veterinarians were doctors, too!

Hisoka appeared in front of her, blocking her from the preying eyes of Leorio. Surely Hisoka was going to tell him to stay away again, and maybe threaten him with a broken leg or two. He was always creative, but the message was always the same: "this is my princess, so back off." What was he going to say this time?

"A picture of my princess to carry around in your wallet?" he asked, his smile still evident.

Leorio backed away this time, laughing nervously. "I was just kidding, you know!"

Hisoka crossed his arms and suddenly pouted.

"Oh, you were kidding? See, I was going to sell you these exclusive pictures of her. I have a whole catalog you could choose from!"

Natsumi's eye twitched as she grabbed the hot chocolate from the table and threw it at Hisoka, who gladly let it hit him and spill over his clothes. Natsumi panted and turned around, crossing her arms in an irritated manner.

"You're terrible!" she yelled, sounding like a daughter who didn't get the candy as promised by her mom. Hisoka tried to appease her by whispering sweet nothings, but she wouldn't budge.

Meanwhile, Leorio opened the door to leave.

"Kurapika, can I have a word?"

Gon and Killua looked at each other as they usually did. What was that about? Kurapika didn't know either. He stepped out and followed Leorio as they went through a series of hallways. They went up a few staircases, which led to the rooftop. Kurapika remembered the day when Hisoka had first broken the agreement and came to visit Natsumi. He clenched his fist at the thought.

"So…" Leorio finally said, lighting up a cigarette.

"What?" Kurapika asked, impatient. Leorio usually blurted out information when he knew he was absolutely right. What was he thinking now that he was taking his time?

Leorio blew out a puff of smoke and stared at him, a grave expression on his face.

"Kurapika... About Natsumi… Are you sure you aren't confusing friendship with love?"

---

End of Chapter!!!

Wahahahahaha! Okay, honestly, I was never a big fan of love triangles. Why? Well, I was a victim of one before! Hahaha. But after receiving lots of feedback (especially from one recent reviewer, whom I will thank properly later), I noticed that many people were seriously disappointed that Kurapika wasn't involved with Natsumi in that way. So I was convinced to finally do it. Yay!

Please review! I really love hearing from you guys!


	20. Morphine Madness

Hellooooo! Thank you for your reviews! I love your feedback so much! Makes me want to continue writing my story. I recently learned that I could reply to your reviews, so that I will do! They didn't have that feature before. Heehee.

Anyway…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I wish I did, so that Hisoka wouldn't be too gay. I own Natsumi!

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 19: Morphine Madness**

---

_Turning to the window_

_I hope for a ray of light_

_But all it grants me_

_Is a dark unsettling cloud_

---

"Hisoka-san… What are you doing?"

Natsumi's shaky voice filled the entire room. Hisoka was underneath her hospital bed, just lying there like a body in a coffin. He had that stupid grin on his face again. She didn't know how he did it, but his clothes were already rid of the hot chocolate stains from when she threw the cup at him. Gon and Killua had already left on another of their hospital adventures, and while Leorio had called Kurapika out on a mysterious meeting, she and Hisoka were all alone. Where were Machi and Nobunaga?

"I'm trying to see what the boogie monster's view of you is like. I daresay it isn't very promising."

"Will you get out from under there?!"

In an instant, he was beside her, sitting close, but not close enough for them to actually be touching each other. Natsumi jumped at the speed. She had nearly forgotten how unlike a human being he really was. He grinned again.

"Shall I try the view of the monster in the closet now?"

She grabbed the pillow beside her and hit him with it. He let her hit him, as usual. It was like hitting a tree trunk. He didn't even budge! There was a long moment of silence, making the atmosphere in the room quite intolerable. Natsumi wrapped her arms around her legs, the hospital blanked covering her from the waist down. She stole a glance at him, and then looked away.

"Hisoka-san…" she said softly.

Despite his usual tough exterior, she could see that he had stiffened quite a bit. She rested her chin on her knees as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"How's your arm?" she finally asked. She hadn't realized it earlier, but the reason why Hisoka had bandages on his arms was that he was still wounded from Nobunaga's katana. "You didn't let Machi-san take care of it, right? And you had both of your arms bandaged, even though only one got injured, so that it seemed like you were just making it a part of your... cosplay."

Hisoka still had the grin etched on his face, but he remained silent. Natsumi stared at him for a while. So she was right. She slowly reached out for his arm, cautious in every way.

'_Stop shaking, you brainless chicken wing!_' she told herself. She closed her eyes and held her breath.

She felt the rough surface of his bandages, and she momentarily cringed. But Hisoka sat still, allowing her to do as she pleased. She opened her eyes and glanced at the bandaged arm. Even under the bandages, she could still see the ridges of his muscles. Her cheeks went red and her ears warmed up, but she stopped shaking.

She moved forward, tracing upwards from his arm to his shoulder. She felt a few bumps, and she lightened her gentle touch. So that's where the wound was. Why wasn't it bleeding through? She began poking it repeatedly.

"Why didn't you have Machi-san fix it?"

It took him a while to answer. He was staring blankly at the floor, his smile getting smaller as time passed by.

"I already told you, princess," he said, addressing her again with his nickname for her. "I must feel the pain that I caused you. I must suffer."

"No, you don't!" she said, raising her voice. "I'm perfectly fine. I could do somersaults and backflips if I knew how. "

"This doesn't even really hurt, princess," he replied, slowly setting his big hand on hers. "I don't feel anything at all. I can even give more attention to a mosquito bite."

His hand was warm… It felt nice.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Princess…"

He reached out for her wrist and slowly pulled her forward, their faces close together. She wanted to recoil, but he was strong. His smile was there, but it was such a masochistic expression. There he was again, scaring her to world's end just when she began to find comfort in him. Really, what was his problem?!

"Have you already forgotten what the short blond boy said?" he asked, his playful voice different from usual. "He told you what I am, didn't he? And though I didn't need to tell you, you already knew it was the truth."

His grip was getting tighter and tighter. Was he forgetting just how strong he was again? He furrowed his brows, but his eternal smile was there. He looked like a champion who just lost his title, trying to be graceful despite the loss. Natsumi's chest contracted again, and she gritted her teeth, letting the pain pass.

"I haven't forgotten. I've got a great memory," she blurted out.

She felt him shudder at her words. What was happening, exactly? What was he trying to say? He spoke in between gritted teeth, as if any second now, he'd lose it and start attacking everyone. Too bad. She was the only one around.

"Then why do you insist on trusting a hoodlum like me? What if a lad more handsome and more charming than I will make himself known to you? Of course, such a lad does not exist, but… will you trust him so openly as well? He could be the worst scoundrel who preys on the innocent!"

Natsumi tried pulling away, but he wouldn't let go. What was wrong with him?

"He could also be a good person!" she said loudly, failing to keep calm. "Not everyone is a scheming snake, you know! What is this about anyway?"

He pulled her closer and she turned away, looking much like a kid who was being force-fed with vegetables. Hisoka took her chin and made her face him. He had a baby pout on his face, and it made her chest ache again. She just hated being around this guy!

"You are very precious to me, too!" he shouted, obviously trying to convince her, as if she needed convincing. "More precious than anything, even my life."

Natsumi shrugged away, and he finally let her go. She fell back on the bed, and she quickly gathered the blanket and dove underneath it, hiding herself from him. He was still seated on the bed. He sure was annoying. Then, it dawned on her. The word "precious…"

"Is it what Kurapika-san said?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent. She hated asking though, since it made her seem like she was so full of herself. "Is that what this is all about?"

"No!" Hisoka immediately replied, though it was obvious that he was in denial.

Natsumi could barely see his outline through the blanket. Her hand twitched, wanting to reach out to him, but she wrapped her arms around herself to prevent any cheesy advances. She sighed.

"Are you jealous?" She wanted to slap herself silly. Wow. She sounded like one of those self-obsessed drama queens who couldn't go a second without somebody showering them with meaningless compliments. And she didn't even blink while saying it! Way to go.

Hisoka didn't reply. Natsumi would usually assume that silence meant yes to whatever was asked, but with this guy, she could never be too sure. Or did he suddenly feel disgusted by her question because she really did sound self-obsessed? No way! She wasn't!

"Yes! Of course I'm jealous!" he shouted.

Natsumi's eye twitched, and she almost fell off the bed. Figures. She shouldn't have asked in the first place if she knew what was good for her. She took the blanket off of her head and sat in annoyed silence. She gave him a soft glare to keep him in line.

"My princess is only allowed one knight, and that knight is me!"

Hisoka ran to the window and hastily threw it open. He set one foot on the ledge and he stuck his torso outside. Natsumi panicked and ran to him, grabbing his leg.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?!" she yelled. "Don't do that! It's dangerous, you weirdo!"

But Hisoka wasn't listening. He took a deep breath and… shouted.

"MY PRINCESS IS ONLY ALLOWED ONE KNIGHT, AND THAT KNIGHT IS ME!!!!!!!!"

Natsumi shrieked in embarrassment, and she tried once again to pull him back in.

"Shut up! Shut up! Quit saying such embarrassing things!!! Get back in here!"

But he still wasn't listening. Hisoka spotted a bald old man on a wheelchair and pointed an accusing finger at him from the window.

"YOU!" Hisoka yelled. "Don't even think about getting close to my princess, who stays in room 409 in the west wing of this hospital, because she is MINEEE!!! Mine, you hear me?!"

Natsumi shrieked again, and she finally let go of Hisoka. She fell to the floor, her hands covering her face in embarrassment. She was as red as a beet. Was this even good for her right now? Where was her body getting all the blood that was now rushing to her head anyway?

She heard Hisoka's chuckling from above her. She took her hands off her face as she stared at him. His feet were on either side of her. He had his hands on his waist as he posed like a wrestler who had finally defeated his long-time rival. She was the rival, supposedly cowering on the floor. And what was that look on his face? He looked so happy, like he won an all-expense trip to the hottest beach on the planet or something!

He chuckled again, patting her head.

"Princess! You're absolutely adorable when you're embarrassed! Mission accomplished!"

Natsumi wanted to scream and throw every miscellaneous object she could find at him. He was making fun of her! How could one person push her buttons that easily and effectively anyway?! She crawled from underneath him. She needed to be somewhere safe, somewhere far away from this madman.

"Shut up!" she yelled, standing up hastily. Her head suddenly felt like it was turning. "Darn it… vertigo."

Hisoka held her elbow and set his hand on her back, holding her steady. After a few seconds, she sighed. Maybe she really did need to follow what the doctor prescribed this time. She usually just avoided their advice, and it never really mattered. How much blood did she lose, exactly?

"Thanks…" she said, sighing. From behind, she suddenly felt Hisoka wrap his arms around her in a gentle embrace. She blushed yet again. "What? Another one of your mood swings?"

"My princess…" he ignored her. "Please, please promise me that you will never ever do anything like that again…"

Natsumi's jaw dropped a bit, stunned by what he said. He was acting like Kurapika now. Couldn't she even have one second of peace, one shred of normality in a day? Hisoka set his chin on her head – he was that much taller than she was. Her heartbeats sounded like a horse's gallop as it got stronger and stronger.

"Princess…" he murmured. She could feel his warm breath on her head. Just as when he placed his hand over hers, it felt nice. What was she supposed to say? She didn't know if there were more crazy stunts she'd have to do in the future, but she definitely couldn't promise him what he was asking for.

"Princess," he repeated. "Last night… Although I wanted nothing but your safety, I was on cloud nine when you decided to stay by my side… and I thought I was going to die because of too much happiness when you threatened your own life to save me…"

She felt his nose trace the contours of her head, down to the side of her neck. She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes. What was she doing, acting all lovey dovey?! It was as if her body was moving on its own, without her consent! She knew that it was the cheesiest thing she could have ever thought of… but… it really felt right. He finally planted his lips on her neck, close to her shoulder.

"You don't understand…" he continued, his voice hushed. "I want to punish myself, princess. How could I allow myself to be happy at the sight of you with a knife to your throat? What kind of sick lowlife am I to be glad that you were going to kill yourself if my life wasn't spared? How could I even have allowed you to be in a position to make such a decision?"

His hands were shaking as he clenched them tightly against her. There. He said it. He hadn't had a moment of peace within himself after seeing her take Nobunaga's sword. Even worse, he couldn't do anything about it, not with Kurapika's weapon wrapped around his heart.

"And yet here I am," he finally said after a long pause. "Selfishly taking the prize, feeding my heart's desire like it is my birthright. It disgusts me."

And there was peaceful silence.

'_It's like reading one of those cheesy romance novels from the clearance section of the used bookstore,'_ she thought, finally feeling her heart slowing its beats as she felt at ease.

She reached up and gently touched his cheek. His skin was smooth and soft to the touch. It felt like she was touching a silk scarf or… a baby's bottom. She wanted to poke it. How did she get so used to Hisoka so quickly, even after the damage he had inflicted? She didn't understand anything at all. It was as if she was dosed with something that forced her not to think much.

"Hisoka," she said, unconsciously dropping the formality. "I honestly have nothing to say right now."

---

_With my hand on my chest_

_I feel each powerful beat_

_Opening my eyes, I see you_

_And the beating stops_

_Even my body wouldn't mind_

_Dying for your sake_

---

"Quit spouting nonsense, Leorio."

Kurapika's voice was monotonic, but Leorio knew him better than most people. The blond boy stood warily, his guard increasing as the conversation went on. Leorio took another drag from his cigarette and blew it out, watching every single move of the man next to him.

"Come on," Leorio said, sounding like a drunk buddy. "You know what I mean. The way you look at her, watch over her, hold her… You don't do that with every girl, right?"

Kurapika closed his eyes. "I suppose not."

Leorio's eye twitched upon receiving such an empty answer. He put his arm around Kurapika, much to the latter's annoyance and discomfort from the invasion of personal space.

"Okay, okay," Leorio said, throwing his cigarette off the ledge without a thought. "Let's put it this way. These past few weeks, what has been the first thing on your mind when you wake up in the morning?"

Kurapika grinned, as if confident of a win. "Easy. Breakfast."

Leorio rammed his head on the fence that surrounded the rooftop, losing his patience. Kurapika was impossible. You had to spell out every single thing if it didn't involve violence and technical crap. He sighed.

"Fine," Leorio said in between teeth. "When you wake up in the morning, aside from breakfast, is there _anyone_ you think about?"

Kurapika immediately nodded. "Of course."

"And who is that?"

"Natsumi."

"Aha!" Leorio said, jumping for joy. "There you are!"

Kurapika cleared his throat. "Let me make it clear. Natsumi has obviously been on my mind because she has been in a lot of trouble lately. She needed to be protected."

Leorio rolled his eyes. "And Hisoka and the rest of the Spider gang weren't enough to handle the job?"

"No," he replied matter-of-factly. "That reckless magician even managed to break her bones, almost killing her. Whenever she is around him, she just gets injured."

"Natsumi-chan doesn't seem to mind."

Kurapika gave him a hard glare, and Leorio chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"He always bothers her," Kurapika said, clenching his fist. "He's always in the way of her normal life. She obviously doesn't like him hanging around all the time. Have you seen her grow red in fury because of his close proximity?"

Leorio blinked, realizing what the problem was to begin with. "Uhh, Kurapika, I don't think Natsumi-chan grows red because of her fury…"

Kurapika glared at Leorio again. "What else could it be? Shame? That's likely, too. But fury is more probable."

Leorio slapped his own face. This was impossible.

"Okay, Kurapika," he said, like it was the last thing he was going to say. "I'll be asking you a few questions and you can only, I repeat, _only_, answer with a yes or a no. You aren't allowed to explain your answers."

Kurapika narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Alright."

Leorio took a deep breath.

"Do you like Natsumi?"

"Yes, she is a good friend and-"

Leorio took the stethoscope from his coat pocket and hit Kurapika's head with it. The blond boy held his head with both of his hands, his eyes glowing momentarily red until it faded away again. He raised his head and glared menacingly at the doctor, growling low in anticipated attack. Leorio patted his head roughly.

"What did I say?" Leorio asked, poking Kurapika's cheek with his finger.

Kurapika grunted. "Only answer with a yes or a no."

"Good job! A+!" Leorio shouted. "Now… next question. Have you ever wanted to hold Natsumi-chan's hand?"

"I already-" Kurapika stopped himself when Leorio raised his stethoscope. He sighed. "Yes."

Leorio's grin was growing wider and wider as he chuckled merrily by himself, apparently feeling like the love doctor. This was what he was really born to do! Or not. He pretty much failed almost all relationships he had.

"Do you think Natsumi-chan is cute like no other?"

"Y-yes…" Kurapika's cheeks involuntarily turned red. This was beginning to get annoying. Maybe, if he ran really quickly…

"Do you feel uneasy and annoyed when another guy touches and flirts with Natsumi-chan?"

Kurapika's eye twitched. Of course he did! Natsumi hated anyone who flirted with her! "Yes."

"Do you like it when Natsumi-chan is around you?"

"Yes."

"Do you dream about Natsumi-chan?"

"Yes."

"And do these dreams involve Natsumi-chan being naked?"

"Wh-what?! Naked?! No!!! I would never dream of such an embarrassing thing! What is wrong with you?!"

Leorio laughed aloud, both of his hands on his waist. He looked like a quack doctor, finding yet another unlucky victim to experiment on. He grabbed Kurapika by his collar and threw him to the door that led to the staircase.

"Go and get her, my boy!" Leorio yelled, still laughing crazily. "Spring is in the air! Love is everywhere! Wahahahahaha!"

Kurapika patted his clothes as if they were dirty, cursing under his breath. He sighed, setting a hand on his head as he headed back to Natsumi's room. What the hell was Leorio trying to pull off anyway? Natsumi was his precious friend. Friends hold each other's hand and friends dream about each other. Friends like each other and like being around one another. How could people be friends if they didn't? And she _was_ cute like no other. So? Even Natsumi's friends at school thought so, too. Where else could you find a genius who didn't know how to put on a seatbelt or didn't know what it was for? Leorio was way out of line. Maybe he was bored out of his mind lately, despite his being a doctor.

He stopped in front of Natsumi's door and stared at it for a few moments. Leorio was acting like his usual dumb self. Whatever he was squabbling about wasn't anything important.

He opened the door… and froze.

There, in front of him, was Natsumi… with Hisoka. His arms were wrapped around her, and she wasn't squirming away like she usually did. And… were those his lips planted on her neck?! He felt a wave of tension from the bottom of his feet to his head, and it hit him like cold water. He just wanted to hit someone. Right now.

The pair finally realized that he was there. Natsumi gave him a big smile and waved.

"Hi!, Kurapika-san! Where is Leo-"

But Kurapika ignored her and ran past her, raising his fist in the air. Hisoka blinked, pretending to be oblivious. He knew what Kurapika was feeling though, and he decided to let him blow off some steam, at least for the sake of Natsumi. And so Kurapika punched his face… hard… again. The impact caused Hisoka to slide backwards a few feet, although he was still standing upright.

"Hisoka!" Natsumi yelled, running to his side and checking his face. She turned to Kurapika, a fuming expression on her face. "Kurapika-san! I thought this was all over!"

Kurapika looked at her, realizing what he had just done. He turned away, clenching the fist that had hit Hisoka. "I…I'm sorry."

Natsumi heard the uneasy tone in his voice. It was such a heavy atmosphere all of a sudden, and she didn't like it. And, for the thousandth time, she fell unconscious.

Kurapika grabbed her before she hit the floor, confusion in his face. Hisoka approached the two of them, setting his hand on her back and her legs.

"Thank you for catching her," Hisoka said. "Now, please hand her over."

Kurapika took a few steps back. "No."

Hisoka smiled widely, a small vein popping on his temple. "I allowed you to hit me, blondie. Now, I must insist, give me my princess."

Kurapika frowned. "I said no."

Hisoka raised his brows in annoyance, a small pout formed by his lips. He crossed his arms, sighing.

"Fine," he said, causing Kurapika to hesitate. "My princess likes me more than you anyway. She let me kiss her neck!"

Kurapika nearly dropped Natsumi in shock. No way would Natsumi allow Hisoka to touch her, let alone kiss her that way! And wasn't she afraid of him? Isn't that why she shrunk away and went to him for refuge instead?

"Allowing you to do as you please does not mean that she likes you."

Hisoka frowned and was about to say something, but the door suddenly opened and Leorio came in, followed by two nurses. He glanced at the unconscious girl in Kurapika's arms.

"Oh! The morphine I gave her must've already worn out!" he said happily, like it was a funny joke.

Kurapika set Natsumi on her bed. Hisoka pulled the covers over her. The two men looked at each other, then at the widely grinning doctor.

"Morphine?" Kurapika asked, as if he hadn't heard it before. "You gave her morphine?"

Leorio nodded, arching a brow because of the strange reaction. "Yeah. I needed to give her a small dose in order for her to wake up. It's customary for someone to pass out after a given time, so lo and behold, the unconscious lady!"

Hisoka stomped his way over to Leorio and grabbed him by his coat, raising him high in the air. The two nurses shrieked and ran away, dropping the medical records and medicine trays they had with them and causing a huge racket. Leorio laughed nervously, apparently still harboring some level of fear of the great Hisoka.

"You did this to her?" he asked, his menacing smile not showing any hint that he was pleased.

Leorio sighed.

"Well, technically, Natsumi's body did this to herself. But I gave her the morphine to speed up the process of her waking up. It's almost harmless! Aside from flushing of the skin, particularly the face, an increased heart rate, dizzy spells, as well as slight abnormal thinking and acting, there's really nothing else!"

Hisoka narrowed his eyes.

"Abnormal thinking and acting?" he asked. "Like allowing me to kiss her and saying nothing about it, and maybe even enjoying it?"

Leorio blinked, confused.

Kurapika stepped forward. "Flushing of the face, like blushing when hugged?"

Hisoka dropped Leorio. "Increased heart rate, like when excited?"

Leorio sighed and patted his chest and stomach, as if to check if they were still intact. He smiled happily when they were. He stood up and dusted his coat, crossing his arms in understanding of what was going on.

"Why all the questions? Was Natsumi-chan acting all that differently today?"

Kurapika recalled the time he embraced her and how she allowed him to do it. She usually hated it. Her heartbeat was so fast and strong that he could feel it pulsating on himself. She was blushing, too. Was that the effect of the morphine? She was always feeling dizzy and blushing anyway! But… but she _allowed_ him to hug her.

Meanwhile, Hisoka was reliving the scene wherein he had kissed her neck and placed his hand on top of hers. She was being her usual self, blushing like that. But… she let him kiss her… and she let him hug her! That was absolutely abnormal! That wasn't his princess at all!

"Yes…" the two men replied in unison.

Hisoka fell to the floor, expressing his grief and crushed hopes.

"And here I was, thinking that my princess had finally taken a real liking to me!"

Kurapika remained standing, crossing his arms and staring at the floor, where Hisoka was. Good thing he wasn't as pathetic as that to be rolling around, pretending to cry without tears. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. He turned his gaze to Natsumi. She was sleeping peacefully… again. So many things happen when she's asleep. No wonder she was always oblivious to everything that really mattered.

"Don't worry," Leorio spoke up, having seen Kurapika stare at her. "Just because she wasn't acting herself doesn't mean she'll forget whatever happened today. The true reason why I dosed her with morphine was so that she'd keep her mind on whatever what was happening around her and off the stressful things."

Hisoka stopped rolling around and Kurapika nodded, both in sudden understanding.

Leorio sighed. "You guys are too hopeless. Didn't you wonder why she hadn't asked either of you about what happened to the memory card and her Itsuki-kun? According to Kurapika's description of her, she's really sharp and rarely lets anything slip past her. Today however, instead of thinking about the facts, she was more concerned about how you guys were feeling and if you were okay or not. I made sure, so that she doesn't stress herself out immediately."

Hisoka and Kurapika nodded together in agreement. They were terrible people, each with their own selfish thoughts. Natsumi was finally this and Natsumi was finally that. Natsumi surely feels this and surely feels that. Leorio kept on talking.

"Morphine usually heightens emotional thoughts instead of logic, and-"

"We get it already!" Kurapika snapped, his ego bruised. "So be quiet, Leorio."

"Yeah!" Hisoka backed him up. "Shut up!"

Leorio rolled his eyes. "Fine. But I like it! The feeling of finally being the smartest person in the room! It astounds me! Wahahahaha!"

Kurapika and Hisoka both glared daggers at him, and Leorio backed away from the deadly pair. He opened the door and began to walk out.

"Don't worry!" he said before slipping away. "The morphine's used up already, so when she wakes up, she'll be your normal Natsumi-chan! Ciao!"

Right after Leorio closed the door, the window close to Natsumi's bed opened. Machi and Nobunaga jumped in, the latter carrying countless shopping bags around his arms and on top of his head. He dropped them all on the floor and sat on the chair beside Natsumi.

"Get off," Machi said, snapping her finger. "That chair is mine."

Nobunaga glared at her but gave the chair up anyway.

"Damn it, woman!" he seethed. "You drag me around the stupid shopping district for hours, let me carry all the bags, and then you take the chair?!"

Machi eyed him. "A problem?"

Nobunaga shrunk back. "No…"

"Good," she said. She glanced at Natsumi. "I thought she woke up?"

Hisoka and Kurapika nodded.

"Oh… right," Machi immediately realized. "Anyway, here's the memory card. It's useless."

She tossed it to Kurapika. He looked at it in a sinister way, as if it had a huge sin that it needed to atone for.

"Useless?" he repeated.

Machi took one of the shopping bags and opened it, taking out a knit pastel pink beanie. Without being gentle, she slipped it on Natsumi's head. She didn't wake up.

"It's full of steamy pictures of Natsumi's friend and her boyfriend," she said, taking yet another shopping bag and opening it. "We had Shalnark check it for hidden files, but nothing else was there."

Machi took a hot pink plaid scarf from the shopping bag and wrapped it around Natsumi's neck. She still didn't wake up.

"And I'm supposed to believe you?" Kurapika asked, suspicious.

Machi stood up and put knee-high rainbow socks on Natsumi's feet and legs, followed by knee-high flat black leather boots.

"You don't have to take my word for it," Machi replied. "You can see for yourself if you want."

Kurapika went silent, setting the chip on the desk beside Natsumi's bed. He sighed.

"So the memory card containing pictures from Alphonse's party is still with that girl."

"Miyuki-chan!" Hisoka corrected, smiling. He was blatantly ignored.

"So we steal it from her house, then?" Nobunaga proposed, excited.

"Without killing anyone, if possible," Kurapika said.

Everyone rolled their eyes. "We already know."

---

End of chapter!

So how was that? Hisoka is such a hopeless romantic! Honestly, I really didn't know what I was doing or writing about the entire time. I hope it at least made a little bit of sense. But whatever. I'll make sure that the next chapter is uhh full of sense!

Please review! You guys are awesome!


	21. Hasty Send Off

Hello, everyone! How are you guys? This chapter was pretty tough for me, and I must say it has a pretty slow start. But you guys gotta keep reading 'til the end because there's another surprise! Woohoo!

I have summer classes in two weeks. Boo! Anyway…

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I only own Natsumi and stuff about her.

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 20: Hasty Send-Off**

---

Kurapika and Hisoka stood across from each other, their faces tensed and unsettled. Kurapika held a piece of notepad paper, a short message written on it in very legible handwriting. Kurapika handed it to Hisoka, who read it out loud.

"_What happens when a princess sees a familiar face? Even the impossible is possible with a tap of power."_

Hisoka quickly crumpled the letter in his hand and threw it to the floor like it was a bad report card. He shot Kurapika an accusing look.

"How can a heavily guarded man send a letter?" he asked, his voice revealing an ominous tone.

"He can't, and he didn't," Kurapika corrected, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in deep thought. "He didn't send it while he was in jail. One of my men personally delivered it to me this morning. According to him, while Alphonse was being transported to prison that night, he instructed him to give this to me today. Alphonse apparently looked so frightening that he couldn't do anything but obey."

"Ahh, so the madman had already devised a plan beforehand. Surprise, surprise, there's candy inside!"

Hisoka laughed at his own little joke, but Kurapika wasn't exactly the preferred audience. The latter picked up the crumpled letter from the floor and opened it up once more. He sighed.

"I was trying to prevent Natsumi from finding her father, but I hadn't planned anything for the other way around."

"Around, around, like a merry-go-round!"

Kurapika took a deep breath as he tried his best to ignore the overtly cheery man in front of him. He folded the piece of paper and put it in his pocket, at the same time taking out his cellphone. He pressed a few buttons, then put it away.

"Alphonse is still in prison. Leorio personally went to check on him. DNA tests and consequent dental records indicate that he's the real deal."

Hisoka was beginning to get bored and began twirling a card around his hand. He looked past Kurapika where a clown was selling balloons, distracted by the colors.

"If you say so," he said, making the card disappear in his palm.

Kurapika frowned. This guy was making his blood boil to extreme temperatures again. He clenched his fist, the rough movement causing his chained fingers to clank together noisily.

"Are you even listening to me?"

Hisoka blinked his way out of his reverie and finally focused his attention on the raging blond boy in front of him, appearing as though he had completely forgotten he was there.

"Never," he replied plainly.

Kurapika's top blew over, and he turned around, marching away.

"Fine," he said in between teeth. "I'll just keep her safe myself."

Hisoka grinned widely. "Alrighty then. You do it your way, and I'll do it my way."

---

_As I lay these flowers_

_On the tomb in your heart_

_Tears dampen the earth_

_And new flowers are born_

_---_

The entire classroom was loud and rowdy, and Natsumi didn't like it one bit. Their Gym teacher hadn't shown up for class yet. What were they supposed to do for two hours? Paper planes and spit balls reigned supreme. What was this? The third grade? The girls also squealed in delight at the thought of more time for gossip and senseless bickering.

And Natsumi was in the middle of it all. As the class representative, she was required to maintain discipline during free time. Like it was easy. Miyuki appeared and snapped a picture of her.

"Sorry again about the photos you had to see, Natsumi-chan," she said. She went flat on her back on the table as she stared at Natsumi upside down. "My boyfriend insisted on taking pictures."

Natsumi sighed and gave her a smile.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. She didn't really have the chance to see it anyway. Hisoka and Kurapika prevented her from even seeing the photos… and they were saying stuff about saving the purity of her eyes or something. At least she was able to return the memory card to Miyuki. "I'm also sorry that I wasn't able to print them out for you."

Miyuki sat up abruptly, shaking her head violently. "No, no! Those weren't the ones I wanted! Why would I want naked pictures of me and my boyfriend!?"

Natsumi's eye twitched. So that's what Hisoka and Kurapika meant. But then it immediately hit her. She pulled Miyuki under the table and looked around, as if to make sure that nobody was watching them.

"You mean you still have pictures of me?" she asked, whispering.

"Yeah!" Miyuki whispered back, even though she didn't know why she needed to in the first place. She found it exciting, and she giggled like a little girl.

"Where's the memory card?" Natsumi asked, urgency in her voice. "Did you bring it with you?"

Miyuki suddenly put on a sad expression as her eyes went watery with tears.

"I lost it!" she yelled from under the table, making a few people glance their way. She began to cry loudly like candy had been stolen from her. "I really liked the pictures, too! You were so pretty in your dress, posing with those models!"

Natsumi's eyes narrowed. Dress? Models?

"Models?" she repeated aloud, patting Miyuki's head gently to calm her down. "Can you describe how they look?"

"I lost it!" Miyuki yelled again, ignoring her question. "I kept it in a safe place! But-but-but when I went home last night, my memory card and my copies were gone! I don't remember where I put them!!! The housekeeper must've stolen them!!!"

Natsumi took Miyuki in her arms… and then paused. She pulled the weeping girl away from her and held her shoulders tightly, making Miyuki face her as she sniffed in sadness. No wonder everyone was gone when she had woken up in the hospital. They probably used that time to steal everything.

"Miyuki!" Natsumi whispered. "Listen to me. What do you mean by _your copies_ were stolen?"

It took Miyuki for a while to calm down. She sniffed some more and wiped her nose on Natsumi's blazer. Natsumi rolled her eyes and took it off, handing it over to her impossibly childish friend.

"I printed out two copies of each picture for you and me," she replied in between sniffles.

Natsumi felt like she hit the jackpot. "And where are _my_ copies?"

"I put them in your locker the morning after I printed them out," she replied, her sniffing beginning to subside. "It was supposed to be a surprise, but you didn't come to school that day."

Natsumi gripped her shoulders tighter as she tried to calm herself down. She felt her blood rush to her head. "Miyuki, you're a genius!"

Miyuki grinned sheepishly, blowing her nose once more using Natsumi's blazer. Natsumi wanted to get out of there. She wanted to run and get those pictures in her locker. Surely Hisoka and Kurapika didn't think that Miyuki had printed out _two _copies. They were probably feeling downright confident, especially since they had the memory card.

The door suddenly opened and everyone in the room went silent. Natsumi froze in place. Did a teacher just walk in to check if she was doing her job or not? Because it was clear that she wasn't.

"Enough chit-chat and listen up!" a loud and booming voice surfaced.

That was the headmaster's voice. He was a short and stubby old man who was in the process of balding. He was a very unhappy and grouchy person, Natsumi thought. He was also one of the few school authorities who didn't give a squat about her achievements.

The silence dragged on.

"Where is your class representative, Hasegawa?! Is she not in school again?!"

Natsumi flinched. She hated being talked about, much less when she was present while the talking was going on.

"I'm over here, sir."

She crawled out from under the table, immediately putting on a blank expression.

But then she stopped… because right behind the short principal… was the man she least expected to see.

'_Hisoka!' _she yelled in her head, wanting to throw a random object at him. What was he doing here? He was wearing a white collared shirt and a tie, together with black pants and shoes. Didn't he look just like… a teacher? No way!

He glanced her way and grinned widely, as if knowing that she had realized what he was doing there. But his grin immediately faded away when she didn't visibly react to his presence like she usually did. Instead, she walked up to the headmaster and bowed a little, ignoring him completely.

"How may I help you, sir?" she asked the headmaster, forcing a polite tone to come out.

He intentionally ignored her and turned his attention to the class instead.

"As you may have noticed, your Gym teacher hasn't arrived for class yet. He's in the hospital because of pneumonia. Luckily, you've got Kiho-san here to take over. He's a fresh college graduate, so play nice!"

With that, the headmaster left the room, slamming the door behind him without so much as a goodbye. The entire class stood silently and limply, like insecure freshmen, quite bewildered by the quick introduction. After all, there was an insanely good-looking macho P.E. teacher in the doorway right now – every girl's dream and every boy's point of reference.

Natsumi turned to look at him and crossed her arms – the first movement in the entire room – and suddenly, everybody could breathe again. She arched a brow.

"_KIHO-SAN?"_ she said out loud, saying it with a what-the-hell tone.

"Hello there, class representative," he cooed, a glint in his eye. What in the world was he doing here? Leorio was smart to have dosed her with morphine; she wasn't herself enough to ask important questions. Did they prefer it that way?

"Welcome to Kashmire Academy. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."

She turned and went back to her desk, which was precisely in the middle of the classroom. Hisoka blinked at the cold act, but immediately smiled widely once he could see how much shorter Natsumi's skirt was once she sat down. The teacher's view of her was just impeccable.

"Okay, lasses and lads!" Hisoka clapped his hands, much like a real teacher. "Today, we're going to learn how to serve in tennis! Get dressed, and I'll meet everyone in the tennis courts!"

The boys cheered but the girls booed in complaint. Either way, everyone left their seats and went to their respective changing rooms, leaving Natsumi and Hisoka alone in the classroom.

Natsumi stood up from her chair and crossed her arms. Hisoka flitted by her side, a blissful smile etched on his face.

"A fresh college graduate? Kiho-san?" she scoffed, echoing the words of the headmaster. "What are you doing here, Hisoka-san?"

"I am here to engage in forbidden love! The fox and the hound! The prince and the peasant! The celebrity and the paparazzi!"

Natsumi took a few steps back, a good ten feet away from the madman. This wasn't happening.

"I really don't want to see you right now!" she yelled aloud, losing her temper quite a bit.

Hisoka jumped on the teacher's desk then back to the floor, and then hid behind it. He peeked from the side, and then disappeared again.

"Is that better, princess?"

Natsumi gritted her teeth and hastily undid the first three buttons of her shirt. Pulling the right collar downwards, she growled loudly.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" she yelled again. "WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHILE I WAS DRUGGED?!"

Hisoka peeked again from the side. He blinked for a while as he stared at the area below her collarbone. There, close to her neck, was a pinkish-reddish bruise.

"Oh!" he said happily. "That's me."

Natsumi roared, her face getting red as she fell to the floor. She repeatedly hit her head on one of the chairs, mentally asking why fate just had to choose her over others.

After a few moments of silence, Natsumi sighed.

"Where is Itsuki-kun?" she asked, forcing herself to ignore everything else. It wouldn't be so bad if she just focused, right?

"No, princess. The question is, where _isn't_ Itsuki-kun, honey spoon?"

Natsumi's eye twitched. This was hopeless.

"Miyuki was also complaining about another memory card that went missing, as well as a set of printed pictures. What's that all about?" she asked, hiding the fact that she still had another set.

"What _isn't_ that all about, Mrs. Trout?"

Natsumi glared at him.

"Do you like my name?" he asked. He sounded like a kid seeking his parents' approval through a flawless report card.

Kiho. That was his name. And if people called him formally, it would be Kiho-san, in which case it would be an anagram of his name, give or take the letter "N," which was… the first letter of her name.

Was she just being self-righteous or was it just really well thought of? Too bad that everyone, aside from the headmaster, would be calling him "sensei." But she decided against bursting his bubble.

"Sure…" she replied, looking away.

Hisoka applauded, appearing extremely happy with her response.

"You see," he held a finger in the air like he was a conductor. "It's an anagram of-"

"I know," she cut him off, sparing him the long explanation.

"Oh… but the letter "N" is also-"

"I know," she cut him off a second time. She sighed, setting a hand on her forehead. "It's a bit creepy, but whatever. Good job."

Hisoka twirled around like a prima ballerina, his hands up in the air in a semi-circle. He giggled like an ill person, diagnosed of too much happiness in life.

"Princess, please pat my head and tickle my tummy! And I _will_ say uncle!"

That was it. Without saying anything else, Natsumi stomped out of the room, leaving Hisoka to go crazy by himself.

---

_Alluring and tempting_

_Appealing and enticing_

_When you are near me_

_I am just uncontrollable_

_---_

Natsumi hated Gym for many reasons, and the extremely short shorts that they were required to wear was just one of them. She strode callously towards the tennis courts, with Miyuki skipping next to her in great confidence with her long legs.

"Natsumi-chan!" Miyuki whispered, tugging on Natsumi's shirt.

"What?" Natsumi whispered back.

"Kiho-sensei really looks like the model in the pictures…"

So she was right. It was going to be more difficult now to hide the pictures with Hisoka roaming around the school like that. It was in her locker, and she hadn't opened it yet at all today. Maybe, during lunch…

"Let's keep the pictures a secret between us, okay?" she replied. "Even Kiho-sensei shouldn't know about them."

Miyuki sighed, crossing her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows like a kid devising a master plan. "Okay. I just can't remember when I took those pictures, though. Why were we in that party, anyway?"

A few girls suddenly cheered loudly and ran towards the tennis courts. Miyuki and Natsumi looked up to see what they were so ecstatic about. There, in full tennis gear, was Hisoka, leaning on the fence like some jock waiting for a confession from a cheerleader.

The girls crowded over him, asking him to flex his biceps or lift his shirt to show his abs as they screamed about how much he looked like a professional tennis star.

"I'll find out soon enough," Natsumi replied a little too late.

They reached the tennis courts, and most of the boys of the class had already started playing against each other. Natsumi watched them play, glancing at the overtly popular Hisoka every now and then.

"Kiho-sensei! Do you have a girlfriend?!" one of the girls asked.

The aggressive question attracted Natsuim's attention. Hisoka chuckled liked he was shy to answer, making her blood boil. He tapped his chin in thought, his smile getting sparklier by the second. He glanced at her and flashed her a beamy grin.

"Unfortunately, I don't," he replied and then sighed dramatically, like a hopeless romantic wandering in dreamland. "But I do like someone."

All the girls shrieked a thousandth time.

"Who is it?! Who is it?!"

Hisoka stretched his arms out both ways, as if to embrace everyone. "All of you!"

The girls screeched in glee once more. Natsumi rolled her eyes and took a tennis racket from one of the boxes, grabbing a ball from another. She made it bounce on the ground, just like tennis players did before they served, but it accidentally hit her foot, making it roll away. She cursed under her breath. She'd probably fail Gym class this year. She ran after it…

And then she bumped into someone. The sudden surprising impact made her fall down on her butt. A shadow loomed over her, an ominous atmosphere taking over the sunshine. She raised her head to see who it was.

"K-Kurapika-san?!"

He immediately put his hand over her mouth as he helped her to her feet. He looked around cautiously, and then let her go.

"My name is Kei," he said after clearing his throat. "I'm a new student here. It's very nice to meet you."

Natsumi blinked and looked at his clothes. It was Kashmire's uniform. Was he playing a game with Hisoka? Did they go crazy, or was torturing her just such a fun activity?

He walked past her and went over to where Hisoka was. All the girls went silent once more, their eyes following the handsome newcomer. It was as if godly beings were falling from the sky like snowflakes in winter. Natsumi followed closely behind him, pretending to be a curious bystander.

"Sensei," Kurapika said, his voice cold and calculating. He handed him a piece of paper.

"Ahh," Hisoka said as he took it. The two looked at each other, adamant recognition in their eyes. "Welcome to Kashmire Academy, Kei-kun. Since I am new myself, perhaps we can learn from each other."

Kurapika's face didn't change. He nodded his head lightly. "Of course."

He turned around to talk to Natsumi, but before he could say anything, Miyuki ran to her and pulled her away from the crowd, whispering something inaudible. Natsumi suddenly looked happy at what she said and whispered something back. Miyuki pointed at somewhere off into the distance, and then took Natsumi's wrist as the two ran back to the main school building.

As if on cue, the rest of the girls began running the same direction.

"The car is up front!" one of them yelled. "It must be the Prince!"

All the boys were left in the courts, their faces revealing strong annoyance.

"Stupid Zaoldyeck family," one of the remaining students said as he served a ball across the net. "Always stealing our women."

Kurapika frowned, following the rowdy group of girls.

"Class dismissed," Hisoka said, following suit. "And please haul as many as your girlfriends back to the classroom."

---

_Into your arms, let me jump_

_Twirl me around and around_

_Like a looping, circular dream_

_This is my endless happiness_

---

Natsumi hastened her steps. Despite the head start that she and Miyuki had, the rest of the crazy girls had already caught up to them. Why was she such a slow runner? Miyuki still held on to her like a cat to its toy rat. She couldn't help but smile at how genuine a person Miyuki was. Did she really deserve such a friend?

"Come on, Natsumi-chan! Just past the lockers and we're there!"

Natsumi froze in place, causing Miyuki to nearly fall down because of her tight grip. Some girls bumped into her as the rest ran past them. Miyuki panted as she glanced at the petrified girl.

"What's wrong, Natsumi-chan?" she asked. Everyone was already ahead. "If you don't hurry, you won't see Prince Illumi!"

Natsumi began walking slowly as she tried to catch her breath.

"I have to get to my locker," she said, wiping the sweat off of her forehead. "I have to see those pictures."

Miyuki tilted her head in confusion, but walked with her anyway.

"Are you sure? I thought you liked him?"

Natsumi slapped her face with her hands in embarrassment, her cheeks getting red once again.

"N-no, I don't! I just think that he has such a good family! They gave me a scholarship, you know?"

Miyuki shrugged. "You're a smart girl. And besides, if you end up with him, Milluki-san just might finally give up on you."

Natsumi sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"I haven't seen Milluki-san in a while, so I think he already has given up."

They stopped in front of Natsumi's locker. There was a slot on top, just like all lockers, where students could drop books or letters to classmates. Hisoka and Kurapika weren't in school yet when Miyuki dropped it off, right? So they couldn't have seen it.

The hallway suddenly seemed so silent. Natsumi could feel her heartbeat quicken as she set her hand on the handle, which screened her thumb for a print. There was a light beep and then a click. It was unlocked. She took a deep breath, and then pulled it open.

"That's not right!" Miyuki shouted, her voice echoing throughout the hallway. "I put it in there the other day! I swear!"

Natsumi panicked. So they did know! She went through her papers and books, but there was no sign of the pictures. How did they even open her locker? She rarely touched anything, so she didn't leave a lot of fingerprints behind. Was it from a test paper? Or a paper cup? Or the doorknobs in school?

"Looking for this?"

Natsumi stiffened upon hearing the voice. She knew who it was. It wasn't Hisoka or Kurapika. It wasn't Illumi or any other teacher either. She turned around.

"Milluki-san…" she murmured.

He was even bigger than before. His hair was as messy as ever, and his shirt was half tucked and half un-tucked, like it usually was. He had a bag of chips in one hand and a yellow envelope in the other. The logo of the photo printing station that Miyuki frequented was on the flap. Natsumi shivered. Having Milluki around always gave her the chills.

"Surprised not to see your prince?" he asked, almost bitterly. "I knew you'd step out of class if you thought he was here, so I purposely used the family car to get here."

Natsumi bowed a little. "I thought I'd say hi. I owe your family a lot."

Miyuki stepped in front of Natsumi, a fierce expression clouding her face.

"I don't care if your family owns this school!" she yelled. "Those pictures aren't yours, so give them back!"

Natsumi held on to Miyuki's arm to keep her from doing anything drastic, but the kendo trained girl was tough. She lunged forward to grab the pictures, but Milluki was faster than he looked. With one swing of his arm, he hit her shoulder, sweeping her to the lockers, crushing her against the hard metallic surface.

"Miyuki!" Natsumi shouted, falling to her knees to catch the now-unconscious girl. "Miyuki! Wake up!"

She glanced up at the big man, tears stinging her eyes and fear creeping up her neck.

"You didn't have to do that! Miyuki meant no harm!"

Milluki banged his fist on the lockers, making Natsumi jump at the deafening noise. Her hands began shaking again, her heart banging against her ribcage.

"Miyuki, Miyuki," he said in between teeth. "Every time I hear you say that, I always think you're calling _me_. I'm glad she's half-dead. Now, get up. We're leaving."

He tore the bag of chips open and tilted his head back, emptying everything into his mouth and making a huge mess on his shirt and the floor. Natsumi didn't know what to do. Should she shout for help? But this guy was a Zaoldyeck! Who would people believe?

Besides, Milluki was never violent before! He would usually just say a bunch of senseless things. He never hit anything or anyone! And here was Miyuki in her arms, a concussion bleeding heavily from the side of her head.

"Milluki-san, I'll go with you anywhere!" Natsumi shouted. "Just let me take Miyuki to the hospital!"

He growled, apparently getting angrier than before. He stuffed the yellow envelope in his pocket and roughly grabbed her arm. With his free hand, he took a small black device from his other pocket and pressed it on one of the lockers. It beeped.

"I said we're leaving," he said, pulling her along. He was extremely strong, and not just because of his size.

"HISOKA!!!" Natsumi yelled.

They reached the entrance, but nobody was in sight. There was a sound of a helicopter that came from above, and a rope ladder rolled down in front of them. Milluki grabbed it and carried Natsumi over him.

"Climb or she dies," he said, revealing a small red button mounted on a black device strapped to his wrist. So that tiny little thing he put on the lockers was a bomb.

Natsumi shakily climbed. She was weak, didn't he know that? What if she-

"If you fall, I'll catch you," he said as if reading her mind.

Tears fell as she continued to climb.

"PRINCESS!!!"

She stopped. That was Hisoka.

"HISOKA!!!"

But the building exploded. Milluki had pressed the button. How could such a small thing blow up the entire main building? The gas from the explosion caused the ladder to sway violently, and she lost her footing. Before she even fell a foot down, Milluki caught her and held on to her tightly, like he had been waiting to do so for a long time.

"You are mine now. Alphonse agreed."

---

End of chapter! Whoa. Did you see that coming? I sure didn't. Seriously. Lol.

Oh, thank you for the e-mails I've received! I've been trying to reply to people more often now, even in the reviews section as well. To those who don't have accounts, I'm really sorry that I can't reply! Please send me an e-mail instead :D

Thank you and please review! Feedback is my chicken soup.


	22. Reborn

Hello, everyone! Wow… I have not updated in AGES. I haven't been writing, honestly. But that's 'cause I had summer classes (and really got bad grades) and finally got myself a boyfriend. HAHA. Okay, way to be discreet… But I'm happy :D School's in about a week again, so I'll be writing yet another chapter before then.

A bit of a warning, though. This chapter has looooong parts of dialogue. Please bear with it. You know how smart people like talking? Yeah, this is pretty much its reflection. I'll shut up now because I know you want to read.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter or any of its characters! I own Natsumi and stuff about her.

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 21: Reborn**

---

_Previously:_

"_If you fall, I'll catch you," Milluki said as if reading her mind._

_Tears fell as she continued to climb._

"_PRINCESS!!!"_

_She stopped. That was Hisoka's voice coming from the school hallways. Was he coming for her?_

"_HISOKA!!!"_

_But the building exploded. Milluki had pressed the button. How could such a small thing blow up the entire main building anyway? The gas from the explosion caused the ladder to sway violently, and she lost her footing. But before she even fell any further than a foot down, Milluki had caught her and held on to her tightly, like he had been waiting to do so for a long time._

"_You are mine now," he said. "Alphonse agreed."_

---

Alphonse? Who the hell was Alphonse? The thought lingered for a full second, but immediately disappeared afterwards. Who cared about Milluki's accomplices when Hisoka and Miyuki had been… She couldn't finish the thought. She felt like regurgitating what she had eaten for breakfast. She didn't feel too good.

"Are you alright?"

Milluki had set her on the cabin floor, but she was extremely pale and unresponsive. He closed the hatch and brought her to his arms. She winced when he moved her leg. Apparently, some random debris from the explosion had cut her behind the knee, and she was bleeding profusely. Milluki shook his head.

"Can't you go a day without getting hurt?"

Huh. How ironic. It was his fault that she was in this mess in the first place! Her vision started to blur and her breathing had slowed. She hadn't recovered much after cutting her own throat, so her body was still quite low on blood. She felt like her head was spinning, and she covered her mouth like she was about to make a mess.

'_Time to lose consciousness, I guess…'_

The images of Hisoka and Miyuki flashed in her mind, and with that, she did lose consciousness.

It was probably a while before she came to. She wasn't really sure. A piece of cloth was tightly tied around her head, preventing any possibility for vision. The air was cool and dank, though… She was probably in some kind of stony facility.

She could feel her wrists pinned down to a wall behind her with cold metal clasps. She was tacked to the stony bricks, her arms raised above her head to form a "V." Her legs were free to roam, but she couldn't even feel or reach the floor, leaving her entire body to hang limply only through her frail arms. She could feel the lactic acid building up in her arms and it wasn't a very pleasant feeling. As always, gravity wasn't a kind friend to her.

"Don't be alarmed. It's just me."

Milluki's voice came from a few feet away. She gritted her teeth when she heard him come closer. It was pretty easy to detect where he was. Because of his weight, he was semi-dragging his feet while walking instead of lifting them up. She shuddered when he touched her cheek.

"I hope you don't mind, but one of my servants changed your clothes. You're wearing a pretty white dress now. Oh, and I saw what that clown did to your neck. I'm glad I got rid of that trespasser."

Natsumi gritted her teeth and yelled, trying to reach out and slap him, but Milluki grabbed her neck instead and put special pressure close to her pulse. He frowned.

"No one is allowed to touch my property without my permission."

He promptly let her go and brushed the hair out of her face. Natsumi shook her head, trying to get away from him. But it was futile. Her arms only hurt even more. There was a sudden low chuckle from the left side of the room.

"Not very talkative, are you? Highly unusual."

That was a man's voice, definitely not Milluki's. He had a frigid and arrogant tone, and all of a sudden the air in the room was more difficult to breathe in. Natsumi felt her hands suddenly shake in the cuffs as her lips quivered unsteadily. What was with this sudden reaction?

"I see your body recognizes the threat, the form of which is my voice."

Natsumi turned her head to the side as if to acknowledge the person. Just who was it that her body was reacting to like a suspicious animal? She's never heard the voice before; she was 100% positive. Well, at least that was what her brain wanted her to think. After all, she still didn't exactly know what Hisoka's role was in the beginning. Or until now. Hisoka… No way he'd leave her, right? Especially after letting her get used to his being around all the time. That Hisoka… So annoying! But oh how she wanted him right there, right now, if only to annoy her.

"Let me give you a hint as to who I am," the man continued to speak. "I-"

"How about you just help me take this blindfold off?" she interrupted. "It's easier that way, right?"

She froze. Did she just make a fierce retort? It felt natural, too. Why was she so ready to attack this person? Who was he?

"Ahh, see? Now you speak. No doubt you were just thinking about your clown in shining armor. As tasteless as it may sound, I've observed that he does give you strength."

Her jaw dropped a little. Her clown in shining armor? Was he referring to Hisoka? Yes, she was just thinking about him. He was right on the mark! But how did he know? She felt Milluki's heavy hands land softly on her head to take off the blindfold. She expected her eyes to have difficulty adjusting back to light, but it was surprisingly dark in the room. To the right was a single crackling torch, barely enough to light the small area.

She looked around. The walls were all made of stone, except for the one in front of her. Instead of a wall, there were bars. She was in a prison cell. And not just any other prison…

"This is… The Blind Man… Detention Facility," she murmured.

The man chuckled again, and she finally turned to look at his face. And she was awestruck. His manipulative voice didn't match his strikingly beautiful, chiseled face at all. His hair was blond and it seemed like a crew cut that was beginning to grow out, like he didn't have a chance to maintain it. His eyes were a sharp blue… and they had so much depth that it was difficult to look away. And his skin appeared to be so smooth and flawless. He was such a beautiful sculpture. Hisoka would look average next to this man.

"Impressive," he said, slightly lowering his head to mock recognition. "You are able to recognize this facility through simply glancing at a single cell."

Natsumi gulped. "Field trip in the second grade…"

He raised his eyebrows in amusement as he grinned sardonically. Why was it that no matter how handsome he seemed, she couldn't find a soft spot for him? After all, Hisoka had that stupid effect on her. And so did Kurapika. Stupid hormones.

"Second grade," he repeated, chuckling a bit as if remembering events of his own. "Perfect memory. Or should I say, _almost_ perfect?"

Natsumi narrowed her eyes, any trace of uncertainty flying out the cell window. This guy knew about the memory swipe. Either he was a friend of Kurapika's or he had something to do with the very reason they had to erase her memories in the first place. She'd bet her life on the latter.

"That's right, my little sweet pea. I _have_ something to do with your little memory glitch. Now, although I truly enjoy beating around the bush, I really need to stick to my schedule. Your fainting from blood loss has already caused delay."

Natsumi cringed upon remembering the reason why she passed out. Thinking about wounds always made it more painful. She couldn't fully look down and glance at her leg because of the unpleasant pain it caused her back, but she could feel that a big patch had been taped to the back of her knee.

"So I'm a prisoner now, huh?" Natsumi asked, trying to ignore the pain. "You seem to enjoy watching innocent girls just hanging around."

He clapped his hands in fondness as he approached her with a graceful gait, his eyes never leaving the prize.

"I love it when you make jokes. I love the way you look even more. So much like your mother."

Natsumi's eyes grew fierce as she balled her hands into tight fists, trying to pull herself out of the cuffs.

"If you touch my mother, I swear-"

"You swear you'll what?" Alphonse grinned. "It actually surprises me how slow you are when it comes to the things that matter."

Natsumi glared at him, beads of sweat dripping off her chin. She was sure that it wasn't hot inside the room… was she just nervous or afraid? Or both?

"What do you mean?" Natsumi said in between teeth. She could tell that this guy was enjoying himself. Manipulation was his damn hobby!

He went closer this time, resting his forehead against her. He was warm, despite even her own rising body temperature. Things just didn't mesh with this guy, did it?

"What I mean is, despite your face being the splitting image of your mother, she couldn't have asexually reproduced to produce you, correct?"

Natsumi moved her head forward, trying to hit him with a headbutt, but he was fast. He chuckled as he took a mere step backwards. There was no way that whatever he was implying was true. No way! It was just impossible. And yet everything was being pieced together in her head.

The man she never met in her life. The man she never thought twice about. The man whom she recently discovered was sent to the most uncompromising and severe prison in the world, located in York Shin – the Blind Man Detention Facility. The man who stood before her at the moment.

"Ahh yes, now she sees," he said mockingly. "Did you miss your father, the most celebrated man in the world? Oh, my beautiful baby girl, how I love your perturbed expression!"

She hung limply now, disgusted by the man in front of her. This was her father. The man whose life was dedicated to crime, or so she heard. She never cared about him simply because she didn't even know who he was. And now he was here. What was she supposed to do?

Her chest began to tighten and her breathing became heavy. Here it comes again – the stupid wave of pain close to her heart every time special pressure was put on her.

"Now, now, don't think this is the worst," he continued. "I need you to feel the ultimate low before I extract the little charm from your heart."

Natsumi raised her head to look at him, giving him a hard glare.

"That is the worst metaphor I have ever heard in my entire life."

Alphonse grinned and snapped his finger, making Milluki stand in attention.

"Oh, dear. It isn't a metaphor. Milluki, be a good husband to your future wife and show her that we are sincere people."

Milluki immediately ran to get a black bag from the side and took what seemed like a small gun from inside. He handed it to Alphonse, who took it lovingly, like it was a newborn baby. He softly pressed it against her chest, over her dress, where her heart would be.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked.

Natsumi gulped. She knew what it was. "A syringe gun…"

"A syringe gun!" Alphonse repeated excitedly. "You are absolutely right. Well, except that I modified it a bit. The Blind Man is quite handicapped when it comes to reliable medical supplies, you know."

"Modified…?" Natsumi trailed off. She was acting like such a cornered animal. Well, who could blame her?

"Yes, modified," he said, setting the syringe on her left arm this time. "Allow me to demonstrate."

He pulled the trigger, and a loud bang went off. Natsumi's eyes widened as she gave out a desperate scream, the sudden pain from her arm magnified by her attempt to jump away. She coughed out loud, shaking her head violently to transfer her thoughts to something else aside from the pain.

"What did you do, Alphonse?!" Milluki yelled, grabbing the older man by his shirt. "You said one shot of pain, then it was over! There was no talk about a trial run!"

Alphonse frowned. "Now, may I politely ask you to remove yourself from this close proximity? A single shot should not hurt so much."

"It shouldn't, but this is my Natsumi we're talking about!"

Milluki let him go and rushed to her side.

"Are you alright? It wasn't anything. It was just a reversed syringe gun. He just took a little of your tissue."

Natsumi could feel the blood dripping now. Milluki tore his sleeve and tied it tightly around her arm. He then caressed her hair.

"It'll all be over soon. I'll make sure of it."

He turned around and glared at Alphonse, the fierceness of the Zaoldyeck family evident in his features.

"You will tell her what she needs to know and get it over with."

Alphonse sighed dramatically, as if he was a master artist and his work was not appreciated. He patted Milluki's head as if he was a young schoolboy.

"Alright, alright. After all, this plan would not be in motion if I lacked a Zaoldyeck."

All became silent as Alphonse snapped the old vial containing her old tissue out of the syringe gun and loaded a new one. He lifted his hand as a gesture to Milluki, who promptly set his hands on Natsumi's head, holding her in place. Her lips began to quiver once more. What were they going to do to her? Torture was one of her worst nightmares. Was it going to be a reality?

"Don't act so scared, darling," Alphonse cooed into her ear as he kissed her cheek, gently caressing her face down to her neck with his lips. "After all, you _do_ want your memories back, right?"

Natsumi's eyes darted his way, a disbelieving look etching itself on her features. Her memories? Would she really remember everything? If pain was the key to this, then she'd agree to pretty much anything, and Alphonse, her father, knew.

"Now I see the enthusiasm in your eyes!" he chuckled merrily, as if proud. "Okay, my words may cause a bit of an information overload, but you are my blood descendant, so it shouldn't be too hassling. As long as you cooperate, and keep as still and soundless as possible, you _will_ get your memories back."

He placed the syringe on her chest again, this time pressing harder. Natsumi gritted her teeth. She was sure that this man wasn't the type who liked giving warnings, except during those times he liked playing with his prey. But he seemed pretty serious as of the moment. Her guts told her to listen to him. But what was he going to say that required such immobility?

"Do you know what nen is?" he asked, but didn't pause for her to reply. "It's a type of energy that humans are capable of harnessing. It is the most rewarding research projects I've ever undergone. Who knew that humans have abilities that go far beyond what we define as 'human?' You've seen them before, right? People who have superior strength, who are faster than the speed of light… people who can heal wounds that should've taken longer to heal."

He traced the light pink line that wound around her neck. He was talking about Machi… and Hisoka… and Nobunaga. Were there more like them?

"There are many types of nen, but I won't delve into any of them, because I'm afraid you might get bored. However, what is important for you to know is that you, my darling little daddy's girl, have been harnessing nen since the day you were born."

Natsumi stared at him, afraid to make a noise or make a slight movement, lest she lose her chance to gain her memories back. But what in the world was this madman harping about? Nen, this harnessed human energy in people like Hisoka… she had in her body too? If she wasn't stuck to the wall like a thumbtack, she'd be sprawling on the floor laughing.

"I created a tiny little device that would absorb a person's nen. Every ounce of energy will be stored in its little compartments. The person whose nen was harnessed can then donate the nen to somebody else, say, a lad like me, and needless to say, a powerful being is born."

Natsumi was getting groggy, but she couldn't snap out of it. Everything he was talking about… what did it have to do with her?

"This device was implanted eighteen years ago, right in this spot," he said, poking her chest repeatedly with the gun. "And now, I'm taking it out again. Think of it as harvesting."

'_So just do it then!'_ Natsumi wanted to shout. But she had amazing self-control right now. She even surprised herself.

"There was a catch, though, and this part, darling, will surely make you cry. Not to worry, I am allowing you to shed tears."

He grinned again, his white teeth baring a sadistic smile.

"The catch was," he continued, "the only way I could possibly harness such powerful nen from an unsuspecting individual was to absorb negative energy. Negativity! Did you think you were such a special girl that you could have a sleepless night worrying about your mother, and go to class the following morning like nothing happened? It was all the device's work! And oh my, how it was such a chore to make your cheerful and contented mother raise a miserable and cheerless little girl."

Natsumi's eyes widened, realization striking her like a slap to a scathing wound. And almost in a flurry, she wanted the man in front of her dead.

"You are so brilliant," he said, noting her reaction. "You take the fun out of everything because you always know what comes next. So allow me to grace your conclusion. YES! Your mother's measly lifestyle was caused by none other than me!"

He took a step backwards and laughed loudly, his nose poking the air above him. He laughed like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. And it was at the expense of somebody else's life. Her _mother's_ life. She felt Milluki tighten his grip on her head, his head hung low. It really was that bad.

She felt tears sting her eyes, ready to fall over. She gritted her teeth. She wanted to hit him, to grab his face and… do merciless things. But she couldn't. She needed her memories back, if only to know who this man really was and why Hisoka wasn't here with her any longer. She wanted to know everything. But was it really worth it?

Alphonse finally calmed down. A chuckle or two escaped a few times, but he looked at her like she was such a tiny speck on the wall. And maybe she was.

"Did you even believe, for one second, that she just made a series of wrong decisions that led her to have such a degrading lifestyle? No. Somebody _had_ to make it happen. Time and time again, she never gave up looking for a decent job with decent pay. A desk job, waitressing, wow, even lawn mowing! So many options! And yet why did she end up like that?"

He scoffed. Natsumi wanted to die. Her tears fell over and clouded her vision.

"Nothing but a little scare for future employers," he laughed. "She was such a personable person. Of course everyone would've wanted to hire her! But not at the expense of their lives, right? Or their children's futures? 'Alphonse' is quite an established name and I'm surprised you've never heard of it! But of course, I never _personally_ went up to them to convince them not to hire the beautiful young woman. I'm much too busy for that! Don't you think I had to let someone do it for me? You see, that's the best part."

He smiled, pausing to let the effect of the question take its toll.

"Who do you think did all the work for me?"

Her hands and arms shook so wildly that the shackles began to clank noisily. Her tears came nonstop now, her mouth tightly closed in a biting act. Her breathing was heavy and labored. It was as if each part of her body was suddenly failing in sync with everything else. And her chest, right where he was pointing at, seemed to hurt the most.

"That's right, baby girl. The man who made sure that your mother's life would be a living hell is none other than…. your dutiful knight, Hisoka."

He laughed again, shaking his head from side to side like he believed he was being silly. "'Hire her and you'll die!' That was pretty much what he said."

Hisoka. Hisoka. Hisoka. Alphonse's words seemed to stain her very soul. Hisoka. Hisoka. Hisoka. Her mother's life. The agonizing nights waiting for her to come home. The days of going to school. And the days of not being able to go to school. The laborious hours of work after a hard day in class. Late nights and rare days off. The hiding from friends, and the shame of not being the same that came along with it. Hisoka… made it happen. Hisoka… was the foundation of her curse.

And suddenly, everything around her seemed to look like an old movie, all in black and white. Her heartbeat raced to a level that was probably inhuman. She couldn't tell one beat from the other anymore. Everything was silent, except for one thing. It was the loud shot that came from the syringe gun, taking with it a small fraction of her sternum and a tiny black box. And lots of her blood.

Alphonse's voice, sounding as if he was in a tunnel, arose again.

"Welcome home," he said with love. "You're finally awake, Alexander."

---

End of chapter!

Haha. I know you hate me now. Lol.

Anyway, I've gotten a couple of reviews that want me to answer a bunch of questions, but I can't respond to them because they're anonymous reviews. So please, guys, e-mail me instead or leave me a message on ! I promise I don't bite :D

Please review! Your feedback is much appreciated.


	23. Seven Percent

Hello, everyone! I know how much you guys want to throw sharp objects at me for not updating for so long… But… at least read this chapter first and see if you still want to, okay? Lol.

Thank you for all the messages and reviews I got from previous chapters! I've recently replied to many of you, and there were some that I wanted to respond to but couldn't.

Sooo, without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Oh, and disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter or its characters! I own Natsumi and this story.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 22: Seven Percent

* * *

**

_Previously:_

_And suddenly, everything around her seemed to look like an old movie, all in black and white. Her heartbeat raced to a level that was probably inhuman. She couldn't tell one beat from the other anymore. Everything was silent, except for one thing. It was the loud shot that came from the syringe gun, taking with it a small fraction of her sternum and a tiny black box. And lots of her blood._

_Alphonse's voice, sounding as if he was in a tunnel, arose again._

_"Welcome home," he said with love. "You're finally awake, Alexander."_

* * *

Alexander? Who the hell was Alexander? The name struck her like a slap to the face. Alexander. Why did the name seem so… powerful? Then, her own body caught her off-guard. She suddenly jerked forward, her back arching as far away from the wall as the metal clasps would allow. She breathed in sharply, her eyes and mouth opening wide as if she was being choked. The pain! She felt it everywhere! Her fingers, down to her arms and her stomach, her legs, and even the soles of her feet! It was as if acid, instead of blood, was running through her veins.

"Wh-what is… this?" she spoke, although her words were airy. What was this strange sensation? It was far from normal, she was sure. She couldn't put it into words… She could feel waves of heat from different areas – like suddenly releasing air from a balloon – and a consequent jolting towards whatever direction she was facing. But why did it hurt so damn much?! The blood from her cracked sternum trickled downwards, staining her white dress crimson. Her jolts made her broken bone protrude forward, tearing more muscle and flesh.

"This hurts! Make it stop!" she yelled, her eyes wide, though no tears were falling. She was getting exhausted. She could hear Alphonse's contented laughter as she remained hanging on the wall, occasionally thrashing like she had short bouts of a seizure. Then, all of a sudden, a sudden constant burst of light emanated from her entire body, warming her entire frame. She gritted her teeth at the heightened intensity of pain, slumping forward as if giving up.

"Tell me, Alexander," Alphonse spoke. "You enjoy nen, don't you? Now that my little device isn't there to absorb such energy, your aura is leaking through all of your nodes! It is quite sad that I cannot see your transformation. Well, at least not _yet. _Milluki, won't you tell me what color it is?"

Milluki glanced at Alphonse, as if surprised by the request. He then turned to Natsumi, resisting the urge to break the clamps that had already bruised and cut her wrists, causing blood to drip down to her arms. He clenched his fist and looked away after observing the flowing color that surrounded her body.

"It's red…" he muttered bitterly.

Alphonse chuckled happily, clapping his hands once more. "Ahh, red, is it? The color of passion, anger, and blood! Now, I can't wait to know what your hatsu is, and what kind of ability you can wield! Dear, dear Alexander!"

"Quit calling me that!" Natsumi yelled. Her shut her eyes as she tried to shield them away from the blinding light from her body. "It's a dumb name! And since you keep saying it's mine, then you're dumb as well!"

Alphonse seemed impressed with her ability to speak despite the distraction from pain. He chuckled for a moment, and then smoothed his hair out. Crossing his arms, he grinned.

"Don't you like your name? After all, it is what I have given you. You are Alexander, the mutant provider of nen. Your name is already well-established in the black market, I might add. They're all waiting for you, although you are quite expensive."

_'Expensive?'_ she repeated in her thoughts. Natsumi lifted her head and opened her eyes in response to what he had just said. She was… expensive? But… cheap and expensive things were sold! Did he mean that… she… It couldn't be! Her sudden terrified expression caused Alphonse to smile; that sick reprobate!

"Yes, my darling," he cooed into her ear. "You are going to be sold. You're worth around 650 Billion. That's the starting bid."

Natsumi winced away from him, her head throbbing because of his words. Her energy was now darting in her ears and around her head, so his whisper sounded like a scream into a megaphone right into her ear.

"But…" she managed to say. "Everyone else…has nen… Why… me?"

She coughed out blood. Was this ever going to end? The feeling of burning acid now focused solely on her left lung, causing her to bend as far sideways towards it as the clasps could allow.

"Ahh. There you go again," Alphonse said, faking an exasperated sigh. "Must you always think that you're special? I can hardly blame you though, since girls your age always fantasize about being one in a million. Of course, what sets you apart most of the time is your genius, but that hardly is anything truly exceptional, because there are nine more of you in that one million."

He chuckled silently, turning around and setting his arms behind him, as if thinking of distant thoughts.

'_He's… a madman…' _Natsumi thought to herself. _'And I thought Hisoka was crazy!'_

"You see," he began again. "It's quite rare to find a nen user whose hatsu has not yet been developed. Oh, excuse me. Hatsu is your type of nen. It's quite interesting, actually. In essence, although everyone has a predetermined hatsu, yours has not yet been shaped to a distinct form. So-"

"People will want to shape my nen for themselves, for whatever benefits them…" Natsumi interrupted.

Alphonse chuckled again as he caressed her hair in great admiration.

"And who else could I want to torture more," he said in a distant tone, almost lovingly. "Than my own little baby girl, who would probably be as brilliant as I am? It's no fun to corrupt the easily corruptible, but your being raised under such a loving environment with your mother, it was the greatest entertainment to watch you crumble. They're waiting for you, Alexander, to make you but another human weapon in this world."

He crossed his arms and smirked. "Or not. For all we know, whoever purchases you might have a fetish for ice cream, and all he shapes your nen into is the ability for ice cream theft. You could be the best ice cream thief in the world! That is quite possible, mind you. Well, as long as he's brilliant enough to successfully brainwash you."

Natsumi gritted her teeth and clenched her wrists in an attempt to transfer her focus to anything but the pain.

"You're quite funny, aren't you?" she said. "Sick bastard."

Alphonse shrugged, as if it was a daily insult. He grabbed a key from his pocket and unlocked her cuffs, causing her to buckle to the ground. She tossed and turned as if the pain transferred from one place to another. As much as she wanted to dissect Alphonse's words, she couldn't. The pain was too much of a distraction. That was a first. She used to never get distracted. Milluki took her into his arms and embraced her, causing the blood from her chest and arms to stain his white-colored shirt. If she wasn't writhing in pain or twitching from the nen that was flowing in her body, she would have pushed him away and slapped him. She's never experienced this much physical stress before. It was even more intense than that time she was electrocuted.

'_What…?'_ she paused for a moment.

A brief flashback had played in her head like a video clip. So she was right! She _had_ seen Alphonse before! There he was, laughing as thousands of volts burned her system! Was this a memory? There was another image after that… one of Hisoka. He looked so stunning, wearing a tuxedo like that! He had her close to him, in a defensive stance, away from Alphonse. Behind them… who were those? She recognized Machi and Nobunaga, but there were others. More… She wanted more memories. More! More! More!

In another blinding burst of energy, her aura had spread throughout the entire room. Everything seemed to turn red. Milluki almost dropped her from the intense heat that her skin was radiating, but held on fast despite the stinging burn. There was a sudden influx of memories that threw her vision into disarray. For ten full seconds, all she could see were images of people she did not know she had interacted with. It was as if she had a thousand television screens that trapped her in a circle. Most of them displayed Hisoka's face… Just how much did she look at him, really? And in the eleventh second, she remembered. Everything.

Suddenly, the ceiling next to them caved in, causing a huge cloud of dust to pollute the air. There was a long silence, only disturbed by the sound of somebody's footsteps lurking through the shadows. Natsumi turned her head to the side, another surge of energy escaping from her body. The dust finally settled.

"Hisoka!" Natsumi shouted, her voice echoing a happy tone. He stood in middle of a pile of rubble. He wore a very heavy frown on his face - not happy at all. In fact, he looked absolutely murderous. Every moving and breathing object was his target. She gulped as he turned his attention to Milluki.

"I want my princess now," Hisoka said in between gritted teeth. "And I will _not_ say please."

Milluki took a few steps backwards, Natsumi in his arms, her body still violently yanking sideways from the surges of energy. He clutched her closer to him, his brows meshed together in hostility as he pointed an accusing finger towards the clown.

"That explosion was supposed to kill you!" Milluki yelled in outrage. "You're supposed to be dead!"

Hisoka took two threatening steps forward, causing Milluki to back up even more.

"Dead?" Hisoka repeated, cocking his head to the side, although his expression hadn't changed. "Even an explosion as large as _you_ could not kill me, reject Zaoldyeck. Hand my princess over. Your stench is contaminating the air she is breathing."

As Hisoka approached with ominous steps, a shadow in the shape of a man had materialized behind Milluki. He raised his hand and stabbed his neck with something pointed, and Milluki fell down to the ground, unconscious. Hisoka caught Natsumi before the big man had fallen on her. He bent down next to her and propped her up with one knee.

"Illumi," Hisoka called out to the shadow. "Prevent Alphonse from leaving, will you? And please resist the urge to kill him. I've other plans for him."

Illumi glanced at Natsumi, and then sighed. "So much trouble for this schoolgirl."

He went off and grabbed the retreating Alphonse by his hair and held him still. Hisoka turned his attention back to Natsumi and brushed the hair out of her face. He set his hand on her forehead and his expression hardened.

"This is not a fever…" he trailed off.

"Of course it isn't!" Alphonse interjected despite his fragile circumstance. "People have different reactions to activated nen. Hers is an increase in body heat. Oh, I wonder what mine will be!"

Hisoka gave Illumi a glance, and the latter immediately took out a large needle-like nail and thrust it into the back of Alphonse's head. The evil genius froze on the spot, although his face had contorted into a frightened expression.

"Hisoka…" Natsumi murmured, gaining his full attention once more. "You came late, you clown. You gave me… quite a scare back there, pretending to be dead. Jerk. But… I'm… kind of happy… to see you…"

Hisoka clenched his fist in response to her weak voice. "Princess… surely you must already know… He must have already told you. Just tell me once that you want me dead, and it is granted. The deed I have done warrants such painful punishment."

Natsumi smiled weakly and stuck her tongue out. "Half the world already wants you dead. I don't intend to hop on the bandwagon."

Another burst of red energy caused her aura to flicker madly. Then, as if her body was beginning to give up, numerous cuts appeared all over her, and they spurted small amounts of blood like gas escaping a popped soda. She groaned from the sudden incursion of yet a different kind of pain. She breathed heavily, clutching onto Hisoka's shirt. Her aura had suddenly depleted its scope from the entire room to just an inch around her body.

'_I feel so tired…'_ she thought to herself. _'I feel like sleeping… So tired… Maybe my energy is waning. Does that mean…?'_

"Hisoka…" she breathed out again. "Tell me… honestly. Do people... normally… survive these things?"

She coughed out blood once more, but Hisoka did not even flinch. Her question caused him to hold on to her more tightly. His reaction caused Natsumi to doubt that she really was going to live through whatever she was going through.

"Alphonse made it seem… that I was sure to survive…" she whispered. "But I kind of feel… that another outcome is possible… I know that you know… So, just tell me…"

For a second, he was quiet. But he suddenly put on the widest grin she's ever seen him wear. He took out a Joker card and pointed it towards the iron bars of the cell they were in.

"You see those bars, princess?" he said in an enthusiastic tone. "Do you see the bar that is in the very middle? If I hit that, then Alphonse is right that you will live."

And without even waiting for her reply, he gracefully flicked his wrist, making the card fly across the room in a deadly accurate manner. After a quarter of a second, the card was embedded in the right spot. Hisoka chuckled in delight and glanced at her.

"See?"

Natsumi glanced at the card. Its sharp edge had completely cut through the tough metal. She wondered whether nen users could easily escape the toughest jail to break. If so, then where were nen users put when they were caught? Or are they even caught at all? It didn't matter, though. She was ready to sleep.

"Do you really believe that she buys your words?" Illumi interrupted, tired of the drama. "Ninety-three percent of people whose nen had been activated against their will just drop dead from exhaustion within minutes of fidgeting. Kind of what like you're doing right now, little girl."

Hisoka turned around and gave Illumi a deadly expression, one he's never given him before. He stood up with a lethal intention against the Zaoldyeck, but Natsumi held on to him tightly. Nobody would win between the two of them anyway. They were friends. Hisoka was probably finding a scapegoat for her predicament right now, although he knew that the blame was primarily his to bear.

"There's still a seven percent chance," she said, sighing. "This is annoying… I could be doing homework right now."

She closed her eyes for a moment, but Hisoka shook her roughly, causing her to open them again.

"Please do not fall asleep, my princess," he said, unable to look at her at all. "You must win against the energy or…"

"It will win against me…" she finished. "Too bad I'm the weaker opponent, right? I'm so lame."

"You are not lame. You are the most powerful being I know…"

"I remember… you told me that... back in the hotel."

Hisoka seemed to be taken aback by what she had said. He held her face in his hands, as if to check whether she was lying. She wasn't.

"Princess, you remember?"

She forced a grin and gave him a thumbs up. "Back to the day when I first saw you… when I thought you were going to kill me."

She chuckled at her own joke, while Hisoka couldn't bring himself to smile. He felt her neck. Because of her inexperience with nen, she couldn't sense that her body was slowly losing its heat and her red aura had weakened from an inch to a mere centimeter away from her body. He gently touched her cheek and traced down to her lips. She was getting pale.

"But you couldn't…" she said, seemingly entertained by the idea.

"That's right…" he said, forcing a nod.

"I must be an anomaly... like microwavable popcorn when it first came out…"

She laughed again at another of her jokes. Hisoka said nothing. Her aura was now but a single thin layer over her skin. He clenched his fist tightly and looked at her pleasant face. Her body was giving out to the pressure. But she was still his beautiful princess, more enchanting than the first time he had seen her. His princess. His and no one else's. He bent down… down to his princess... and softly pressed his lips on hers. Time seemed to be endless. She made no response. Could she even feel it? He pulled away and placed his hand on her cheek. There was such silence in the room.

"Your lips… are very warm…" she trailed off, smiling.

_Your body is just cold_, he had wanted to say. But he kept it to himself.

She fell silent. Everything went still. Her breathing softened and her heartbeat began to slow. Her grip on his shirt had gradually loosened and her hand finally fell, but he grabbed it in a swiping motion. He set her palm on his chest and closed his eyes.

"Kurata boy," he suddenly called out.

From one corner of the room, Kurapika came out. He had a bitter expression on his face, as if he had wanted to hold her instead of Hisoka. He approached them and knelt down on one knee, touching Natsumi's face as he did. If only he could do what Hisoka had just done, then he would attain happiness.

"Do we have an agreement then?" Kurapika asked, his eyes never leaving Natsumi's face.

Hisoka gently set her on the floor. He turned around, seemingly disgusted with himself. He raised his clenched fist and hit the wall, its entirety crumbling down to the ground in tiny pieces. He dropped his arm to his side, revealing bloodied knuckles. He cast his eyes downward in a desolate fashion.

"Yes. If you are able to save her… then she is yours."

* * *

End of Chapter!

There we go! How was that? Not my longest chapter, I know. But isn't it full of information? Lol. I hope some questions were answered, but if some things still confuse you, feel free to send me a message!

As always… thanks for reading and please review! Feedback is appreciated!


	24. Scarlet

Hey, guys! How are y'all doing? Done with finals? Coz I am! Oh yeah.

Here's the latest chapter! I've been working on this for a while, so I hope you'll like it. Happy Holidays!

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 23: Scarlet**

_

* * *

Previously:_

"_Do we have an agreement then?" Kurapika asked, his eyes never leaving Natsumi._

_Hisoka gently set her on the floor, seemingly disgusted with himself so much that he couldn't touch her. Turning around, he clenched his fist and punched the wall with brutal force, causing it to crumble down in pieces. He dropped his arm to his side, revealing bloodied knuckles. He cast his eyes downward, desolate thoughts occupying his mind._

"_Yes. If you are able to save her… then she is yours."_

* * *

Kurapika's eyes suddenly stained themselves crimson as he glanced at the defeated man. This was it. The greatest obstacle was to be removed, and for the highest price that he was willing to pay.

"Do you understand what you are saying?" he asked as if to savor his triumph. Hisoka made no reply.

"Then it will be done."

Kurapika stood adjacent to Natsumi's unconscious body and outstretched his right arm, his palm facing her bleeding chest. Her aura had stopped manifesting itself. Was it already too late? Her breathing had stopped. Her heart made no more beats. And she was cold. He wanted to look away, if only to stop the flurry of painful responses he was reliving… those that involved death. But it wasn't the end this time. No. He had the power to make her live, as long as she held on to the last bit of her consciousness… of her power… of her nen. It was still there. He could feel it. Sure, she was easy to push down, but it was difficult to make her let go.

"Natsumi…" he whispered. "I am waiting for you here. I will save you… when no one else can."

With those words, he drew his arm back and thrust it forward. The multiple chained weapon around his hand extended and flew around the cell, seemingly caging the two in a chamber-like metal ball. Hisoka was left on the sidelines, turning away from the scene as if denying that anything was going on. Kurapika and Natsumi were completely hidden inside the metal prison, and whatever was happening was left for anyone to guess.

* * *

_Let me hold you tightly_

_Just like this, so securely_

_I am your cage_

_And you are my prisoner_

* * *

Natsumi could hear it again. The buzzing. The sound of the hospital machines hummed like insects' attraction rituals. She'd be pretty annoyed if she wasn't so used to it by now. She guessed that she was in York Shin General Hospital again, as per routine. She almost smiled. Hisoka must be pacing back and forth somewhere, resisting the urge to see her while she's such in a delicate state. After all, she had to deal with Alphonse and that painful ordeal with…

She sharply sat up, opening her eyes at the same time as she looked around. Was it all over? What happened after she passed out?

The hospital room was empty and cold, and the strong smell of sterilizing alcohol lingered in the air. She narrowed her eyes in response to a rising feeling of suspicion. There was something wrong. Completely wrong. It wasn't because of the surrounding area. There was something weird that she could feel somewhere in herself. Somewhere… around her left eye.

She brought her hand to rest on the right side of her face, covering her eye. She breathed in and out, trying to focus her attention on the disturbing feeling. What was it? She squinted and tried looking across the room. Her vision was the same with its blurry capability. But… there was just something wrong.

She shook her head violently, as if trying to dry her fur as a dog would. She shouldn't be thinking of such things right now! Where was Alphonse? Where was Milluki? And more importantly, where was Hisoka? She fell back on the bed, setting a hand on her forehead once again. What happened anyway? All she could remember was the overwhelming pain, the multiple cuts on her body, and… almost dying. Had Hisoka saved her after all? She stretched her arm out in the air, holding it against the light. There were multiple faint pink scars on her skin, resembling wounds from a knife's clean slice. So… was that nen? If she supposed correctly, the cuts would be her body's rejection against such raw energy. After all, if she believed Alphonse's explanation, then she was supposed to be a mutant that wielded energy like a weapon for battle. And hers… was still shapeable.

'_This nen of mine,'_ she thought silently to herself, though no one was even around._ 'Is it really similar to Kurapika's chain weapon? If so, how can I control it like that? I mean… if I survived the upsurge of energy, doesn't that mean I can handle it? I hardly believe it but… how did I survive anyway?'_

The window suddenly flew open, startling Natsumi as she jumped across the bed away from it. After a few seconds, Hisoka jumped in with multiple grocery bags. He had a seemingly bored face that clouded his features. He turned to her direction and paused upon seeing her confused expression. Then, as if caught in the act, he grinned sheepishly.

"I… I was in the neighborhood and thought to myself, 'Hey, why don't I visit the sick?' So lo and behold, here I am!"

Natsumi relaxed her posture and sighed, trying to hide a smile that was slyly creeping up to her face. She was so happy to see him! She wanted to run and embrace him, but that would just be too cheesy.

Besides… She remembered. Before she passed out, he… he...

'_He k-k-k-k-k-k-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki… How can I even be stammering in my own head?!'_

She sat on the bed and crossed her arms, as if to control her actions.

"What happened after I passed out? I really thought I was a goner."

He immediately looked away, although not quickly enough for her to see that he was staring at her lips. Was he thinking about the same thing? He set the grocery bags on the floor and stood next to window. It was kind of… odd. Hisoka would usually jump for joy and run to her like a happy puppy. What was with the distance? And why wasn't he looking at her?

"The blond boy saved you. It was a very noble moment in history. Perhaps they could put up a scholarship in his name."

"Kurapika saved me?" Natsumi said a little bit eagerly, standing up hastily from the bed. "I didn't know he was there! Where is he?"

Hisoka looked at the ceiling as he crossed his arms. Was he avoiding eye contact?

"He is somewhere in the hospital along with that doctor friend of his. You don't need to thank him. I… already took care of that."

Natsumi furrowed her brows. What the hell? Why was he acting so different?

"And Alphonse?"

"He has been transferred to another detention facility in isolation. The government no longer trusts the Zaoldyeck's facility after the pig breached the security."

"Oh…"

There it was again. He wasn't twirling around like a crazy ballerina. He wasn't squealing like a deranged fangirl. He wasn't anywhere near her. He wasn't even _looking_ at her!

"And Illumi-kun?" she continued, testing the waters further. "He helped me too, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. I've thanked him appropriately as well, so you don't need to worry."

There was a long pause.

"Hisoka…" she said, walking to him and reaching out.

But he simply bent down to look into the grocery bags that he had brought with him, ignoring her completely. Halfway towards him, she stopped. He took out random packs of junk food and bottles of soda, setting them on the floor around him.

"So what would you like, Natsumi-chan? I have orange soda, instant noodles, potato chips… oh, and sugar cubes!"

WHAT?

Natsumi paused. She didn't know what to do. How was she supposed to react? The lingering pain she hadn't felt for so long came back. Her chest cramped up and her throat went dry.

"What… did you just call me?" she asked, her voice inadvertently cracking in her confusion.

Hisoka smiled at her direction, but he wasn't looking _at_ her. There was an aura about him… such a melancholy tone. His actions were but a staged act. There was something wrong.

"Natsumi-chan," he repeated. "Is there something wrong? Aren't you hungry?"

"What… What's wrong?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper and her heart pounding against her chest. "I remember everything, Hisoka! From that night I first met you to when I met Alphonse! If you're gonna visit me, then at least act like you're happy about it!"

Hisoka cocked his head to the side to play innocent, but she could see a slight twitch at the side of his lips. He wanted to frown, she knew. And his eyes… they were so… listless. She shook her head as she took more steps forward closer to him.

"Hiso-"

The door suddenly burst open, but she didn't care to look to see who it was. All that registered in her head was Hisoka's pained expression as he jumped out of the window without hesitation. And she stood there, unable to understand the reasons behind Hisoka's unusual behavior.

It took her a while to realize that Kurapika had been standing next to her after Hisoka had left. She turned to him, her face blank and placid. She gritted her teeth. If she wasn't mistaken, Hisoka wouldn't usually run away upon the sight of Kurapika. In fact, he'd probably make fun of him and tease him endlessly. Was Hisoka's detached nature because of Kurapika? Did they make some absurd pact against her wishes again?

"Kurapika…" she murmured his name, finally turning to look at him. But she took a step back upon seeing his face. A small patch of gauze covered his left eye, and the surrounding exposed skin was bruised pink and blue.

"What happened to you?!" she couldn't help but shout.

He gave her a small smile, crossing his arms.

"I'm glad you're in high spirits," he said, walking to the spot where Hisoka had been, and where the grocery bags were still left. "I'm sorry, but Leorio insists that you keep away from unhealthy food for a while. I'll take these."

Natsumi grabbed the bags from his hands, startling the Kuruta boy. His small smile had disappeared again, replaced by a thin line resembling a tight frown. Was he… upset?

"Well…" she said, a bit taken aback by his reaction, although she wasn't sure why she wasn't used to it by now. "It'll be a waste, don't you think? And besides, Hisoka probably chose the healthiest unhealthy food. Look, oven-baked potato chips, with 50% reduced salt! And unprocessed brown sugar cubes. Yay for locked-in nutrients!"

She laughed nervously as she set the bags down next to her bed. She then sat on the window sill and stared at Kurapika, focusing on his left eye. There was something more gruesome about it, she felt.

"You avoided my question, by the way," she said, looking at the ceiling. The square tiles had the same difference in distance as the ceiling she last saw, which meant she was in the same room, although the furniture had been moved by a few centimeters since that time.

Kurapika sighed. "I guess there's no getting by you."

"You just do it poorly."

He chuckled a bit at her response, which made her glance at him. He sighed again.

"I hurt it while in battle. It's fine, though. Leorio has given me appropriate antiseptics. It's quite tedious. Two drops of his very own eye formula every four hours. He calls it 'Leorio's Secret Concoction.'"

Natsumi giggled. "Sounds ominous."

"If I die you know whom to arrest."

They chuckled together, and then there was a momentary silence between the two. She recalled how she treated him like a criminal when she couldn't remember who he was. It must have been painful for him to be forgotten.

"Thank you for saving me," she said, unable to look at him. She was really bad at thanking people. "Hisoka told me, so… thank you."

But Kurapika's panicked reaction wasn't what she was really expecting.

"What did he tell you?" he asked, his tone revealing a hint of annoyance. She could see the intensity of his gaze, even through just one eye. She felt uncomfortable, forced to look away.

"He just… told me that you saved me."

Kurapika's frown grew deeper, as if suspicious.

"Is that all?" he asked. She nodded in reply, and then he sighed in relief. What was with him? It was extremely strange. Shouldn't she be out of danger now? Why was there still such tension between him and Hisoka – so much so that Hisoka would just immediately leave upon seeing him?

"So what happened to Alphonse? How did I survive my nen?" she asked, trying to dissipate the uncomfortable feeling.

It took him a while to answer. He was looking at her in a different way, she noticed. She couldn't tell what was different about it, but she was sure it was.

"You probably recall, before you passed out, that Illumi had taken care of Alphonse. Same goes with Milluki. Hisoka's blow was probably strong enough to have fractured at least part of that boy's skull."

Natsumi looked at the ground. Kurapika was enumerating the events that had happened prior to her falling unconscious, which meant that what happened afterwards was something he was hiding from her. Hisoka was vague about the details, too. What did they do in order to save her life? Was it something illegal that they couldn't speak about in public? Why didn't they just say so, then? She hated these guessing games!

"Your nen wasn't enough to kill you," he said blankly. "You survived of your own volition. You didn't let go."

She raised her head again to face him. "I didn't let go? Let go of what?"

He reached out and touched her cheek, caressing her with his thumb. She almost couldn't control the twitching of her eye. All of a sudden, this guy was being so tender. She swore he and Hisoka were probably fraternal twins who got the same defective gene, giving them a strange mental disorder which included a split personality or bipolarity.

"You didn't let go of life. Because of that, I was able to save you."

He brought her closer and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. He stayed that way until she finally set her arms around him as well, patting his back in a friendly manner.

"God, you're so cheesy. You'll never have a lot of friends if you keep being this awkward. But then again… Leorio, Gon, and Killua… You have pretty awkward friends, too. Maybe awkward people tend to find each other, like soulmates do. Whoa, does this mean I'm awkward, too? If that's the case, awkward must be the new cool!"

She laughed nervously again. There she was, going on and on about senseless things. If Hisoka stood in his place, she'd probably just shut up… or hit him. Either of the two was plausible, but she didn't understand why Kurapika's arms around her somehow felt like it was almost dangerous.

"I love you."

* * *

_Tender hands, your soft touch_

_Your gentle beating heart_

_Against my solemn ear_

_Could you be the one?_

* * *

Natsumi didn't know what took over her, but in a mere second, she managed to push Kurapika away and flee from the room. She ran around the hallways of the hospital in her white hospital dress. She knew that she had the layout of the building memorized and engrained in her brain, but everything failed her. She turned a corner and bumped into a man. She looked up. It was a confused-looking Leorio.

She panted as she regained her composure, setting her hands on her knees as she bent forward to rest.

"I was about to go to your room," he said, tapping his chin. "But it seems like you were too excited to see me. How cute!"

He patted his head like he did in the past. She said nothing.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, poking her forehead repeatedly. She flinched away, but still didn't reply. He arched a brow and tilted his head to the side, examining her like she was some foreign object in the sky. "Let's see… I could think of two things that would cause you to run away like this. One, Hisoka was probably taking advantage of your unstable situation again and you ran away from him. Second, Kurapika was acting weird and saying things that would upset you."

She looked at the ground, which made him nod his head. "I see. If Hisoka was your problem, you'd probably exude an annoyed atmosphere. So I guess the blame goes to Kurapika. I wonder… what is it that he said?"

"Please excuse me…" she cut him off, walking past him and turning another corner. But a few steps away, she stopped.

"Have you seen Natsumi?"

Kurapika. That was Kurapika!

Natsumi gulped silently. She wanted to run away again, but her feet wouldn't move. Her whole body froze. His tone… it was just too sad. It was just too difficult to bear, hearing it this way. The more she heard it, the more she wondered what expression he had that went with it. He was always serious, she knew that. But sad? Rarely.

"I see," Leorio replied. "So you _did_ do something. She was just here."

"Which way did she go?" Kurapika snapped back, ignoring his sentiment. Leorio chuckled, as if provoking Kurapika's self-control. Was he doing it on purpose?

"I'd tell you. I really would," Leorio said in a mocking tone. "But you see, I haven't seen you in a while, and I have something else to tell you."

His statement was followed by a long bout of silence. It seemed as though Kurapika knew what Leorio had to say. And whatever it was, he was guilty of. Natsumi leaned on the wall and closed her eyes. She had to calm down. If Kurapika had anything to do with Hisoka's behavior, then this conversation might reveal the very reason. She wanted to know. If Hisoka wasn't allowed to be around her anymore… what would she do?

"We shouldn't be talking about it in a public place, Leorio."

Natsumi held her breath. So there really was something going on! She turned her head to the direction of their voices. Kurapika was hiding something. Was it that grave that it couldn't be said out loud? Now she really wanted to know!

"How can you even say that after everything that she's been through?" Leorio replied. "This is the first time I've seen you since you've brought her here. Do you even realize how much damage you've done not only to her, but also to yourself?"

There was silence. Kurapika didn't respond. Natsumi chewed on her lip as her brows furrowed in the middle. What damage was Leorio talking about? Didn't Kurapika save her life?

"I know that you meant to save her life," Leorio continued. "But there were other ways, you know that. For one thing-"

"That clown couldn't do a thing!" Kurapika interrupted. "If I hadn't done what I did, what would become of her? If not for my interference, her nen would have most likely succeeded in killing her. She simply isn't fit for such high energy."

"Of course there wasn't any choice but to save her life," Leorio said. "I know that you used nen to heal her wound, but you could have used a little more nen to heal yours too! If you hadn't called me sooner, you could end up blind in that eye forever!"

Natsumi inaudibly gasped, setting her hands on her mouth. What did he say? Blind in that eye forever? Her lips quivered. There was no way that what she was thinking was possible… No!

"Natsumi needed my nen," Kurapika said, his tone sounding dismissive. "To keep her out of danger entirely, I had to use my nen to heal her. I didn't have enough to heal both of us."

Leorio fumed.

"Even so!" he yelled, garnering the attention of a few patients who passed by. He promptly lowered his voice. "I know that you took Natsumi-chan's eye out with your chain's healing cross, but why couldn't you do the same for your own? You used your fingers! You damaged so many tissues!"

Natsumi fell to the floor. The soft thud caught their attention and the two men rushed to her side.

"Natsumi!" Kurapika dropped to her side, wrapping his arms around her.

Natsumi took a deep breath. She pushed Kurapika away and cowered behind Leorio.

"You didn't do it! You didn't!" she yelled. "You didn't do it…"

Kurapika frowned, turning to the doctor beside him. "This is your fault, Leorio! I told you not to talk about it where we can be heard!"

Leorio didn't say anything. Kurapika grabbed his collar and pulled him upwards.

"You knew she was there, didn't you? You did this on purpose!"

Leorio lifted his hands up in defense as he laughed nervously. Then, he pointed his thumb towards Natsumi, who was still cowering behind him. Kurapika gritted his teeth and let him go.

"It hurts…" Natsumi whispered. "It hurts…"

Leorio turned around and faced her. She had her palm flat on her left eye as tears fell. The silence went on longer this time.

"It's reacting to your emotions… That's how the Kuruta clan's scarlet eyes work. You can't see it, but your left eye is bright red right now."

Natsumi shook her head, falling on the floor as she gave way to her weak knees. She turned to look at Kurapika, who stood next to Leorio with a grim expression. She closed her eyes.

"So it's true…" she said softly. "You've exchanged your left eye for mine so that all my nen would flow through there with its heightened ability. You've given me your scarlet eye! And you did it in the most painful possible way for you!"

Kurapika stood motionless. His silence proved to her that she was right. She knew, from the moment that she woke up, that something was wrong with her eye. But she never expected that it was because it wasn't hers.

"Why, Kurapika?" she breathed out. "Why would you do such a thing?"

He bent down on one knee and faced her. He outstretched his hand and set it on her wet cheek.

"The Kuruta clan's eyes are what makes us special. Our nen is linked to them. Giving you one of my eyes aids in your control of your power, ensuring your survival."

There was a long pause, and Leorio turned to look away. Kurapika drew closer and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Besides," he said, drawing back. "This makes it certain that the clown can never look at you again, because whenever he does, he'll be looking at me. You are already mine in body, and soon I'll have your heart."

* * *

End of Chapter!

So? How did you like it? I hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I have writing it! And I hope you guys have fun during winter break!

Please review! Feedback is very much appreciated!


	25. Lifeline

Hello, everyone! First of all, I am extremely sorry for the confusion with the missing Chapter 25! The truth is, I really uploaded a new chapter. Then, the next morning, I received a review from DMshipper saying that it wasn't that good. And so I read it again, and lo and behold, I hated it as well! So I took it down and worked on a new one. Thanks DMshipper! I fixed it and it's now completely different – and I love it even more!

So without further ado…here it is!

---

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 24: Lifeline**

---

"_Giving you one of my eyes aids in your control of your power, ensuring your survival," Kurapika said, his voice resolute._

_There was a long pause, and Leorio turned away. Kurapika drew closer and planted a soft kiss on Natsumi's lips._

"_Besides," he said, drawing back. "This makes it certain that the clown can never look at you again, because whenever he does, he'll be looking at me. You are already mine in body, and soon I'll have your heart."_

---

It was already eight in the morning and many students were beginning to settle down for class. While the main building of her school was being reconstructed because of the explosion, most classes had been moved to the second building where music classes were usually held. Natsumi waited outside, next to the door, for the face she wanted to see. After a few more minutes, there it was.

"Miyuki!" she yelled, running towards her best friend, who was equally happy to see her. The pair hugged each other, tears stinging their eyes.

"I'm so glad that you're safe!" Natsumi said as she let her go. "I've been worrying constantly. I thought… I really thought…"

Miyuki gave her a sheepish grin and pointed to a man in a black suit behind her. He looked tough and dangerous.

"This guy has been assigned to be my bodyguard from now on," she said, sighing loudly. "My father wanted Milluki Zaoldyeck to be put in jail, but apparently the government got to him first. It seems that he conspired with that Alphonse person. Your dad, right? But it seems like no Zaoldyeck is jail-able, if that's even a word."

Natsumi nodded. It somehow felt awkward talking to Miyuki about these things. Of course, from an outsider's perspective, it seemed as though it was a simple father-daughter struggle, except that the father was a wanted crime lord whom everyone was afraid of. Pair it up with a Zaoldyeck son, and an explosion was the result.

"Yeah," Natsumi replied, forgetting, for a second, that she really was bound to the criminal by blood. "I guess everyone knows the story."

"Not really," Miyuki said as she sat on the floor. "What most people know is that Milluki just went overboard with his obsession over you and decided to take you with him. When you refused to go with him, he got so angry that he decided to blow up the school."

There was a long pause.

"That's… not exactly right," Natsumi said, her eye twitching erratically. "Although I think it's quite clever."

Miyuki's grin widened. "And who do you think came up with it?"

Natsumi smiled widely and playfully nudged her friend's shoulder. "You're a genius!"

The two girls giggled softly. Then silence. Natsumi glanced at the girl beside her, wondering why her overly chatty friend was now being so glum.

"Hisoka-san saved me, by the way," Miyuki said, burying her face on her knees as she pulled them closer.

Natsumi automatically tensed upon hearing his name. No, she wasn't being dramatic about it. His name had been actively revolving around her head, so hearing someone say it out loud had jolted her senses. She put on a grin and looked at the ground.

"So he told you his real name," she said, pretending to be engrossed with the wooden pattern of the floor.

Miyuki nodded. "I guess he had to in order to explain how we survived."

Natsumi glanced at her friend, who was visibly trying to relive what had happened. Just what did Hisoka do? Of course, surviving such an ordeal would send goosebumps to the victim, but why was she… so unhappy?

"I was conscious a few seconds before the bomb exploded," she said, lowering her voice so as not to let her bodyguard hear. "I tried calling for you. Only later did I realize that the ticking noise was an explosive. I heard somebody else shouting… something like, 'Princess, princess!' Then somebody grabbed me… and we were moving so fast that I couldn't really see anything. And then we stopped… and I looked up to see that I was in the arms of Kiho-sensei. But he suddenly hunched down, covering me completely, and then there was a deafening sound, followed by extreme heat… Later, I woke up to find that I was safely outside of the school's gates. I couldn't hear anything except a loud ringing in my ears that made my head hurt. I looked to the left and saw Kiho-sensei walking away. His shirt was completely incinerated, and his back had been burnt to a crisp. He was bleeding, too…"

Natsumi had involuntarily set her hand on her mouth. Her eyes welled up. Though it's happened a few times before, it was difficult for her to imagine Hisoka getting hurt or shedding blood for another person's sake. Did he know that Miyuki was one of the most important people in her life that he'd actually risk his life by going back and saving her?

Miyuki seemed to be silently crying, and Natsumi took her in her arms and patted her back. Seeing other people cry always made her want to cry even more, but somehow she couldn't right now. The tears in her eyes didn't brim over.

"He came over a few days ago and told me…" she said in between short sobs. "…that his real name is Hisoka and that he lost you… because… there was somebody else you needed the most."

Natsumi gritted her teeth as she imagined how Hisoka probably looked as he said those painful words to Miyuki. Did he look serious or was he being his joking self? After all, hiding the painful truth behind dumb jokes was the highlight of his personality. She wanted to ask Miyuki how he was, but she hesitated. Why was she crying in the first place? She had a wild guess, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to face it.

"Miyuki…" Natsumi whispered, looking at the floor. She didn't want to believe it. "Hisoka… told you what Kurapika did for me, didn't he?"

There was a pause for a while, and Miyuki nodded, never letting go of her tight grip on her.

Natsumi clenched her fist and closed her eyes. The tears that had collected now brimmed over, forming a single stream down to her chin.

"Hisoka's decision… you-"

"He's the one for you!" Miyuki cut her off, pushing her back. She wiped her tears on her sleeve and stopped her sobbing

"Hisoka-san should be with you!" she continued to shout. "He should! You belong together! But then… but then… I'm not a good friend if I tell you to go ahead and be with someone who can't take care of you! I want you to be happy, but this world is too dangerous for you! And so… and so…"

"You agree with him," Natsumi finished her words. "You agree with his decision to stay away from me because Kurapika is the reason I am still alive and breathing. You agree."

There was another long pause. Miyuki seemed defeated. Her shoulders slumped forward as she nodded her head slowly.

"To wish that you never get hurt again is asking for too much," Miyuki whispered. "So the next best thing is to wish that somebody will be able to take care of you when you do get hurt…"

The bell rang a sweet chime, although Natsumi noticed that the timing interval in between the notes was a little off by 0.5 seconds. The explosion was really that powerful to have reached the administrative area where the audiotape containing the melody was located. She sighed.

"Let's get to class, Miyuki," she said, patting the girl's back to comfort her. "You are the best friend I've always wanted to have. So don't cry… because you're probably right."

---

_Cradle me like I am yours_

_Into your arms,_

_That's the only place_

_I really belong_

---

"Sneaky wisecracker!" Natsumi yelled to herself, throwing her empty bottle of orange juice on the floor as she walked in the street. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, calming herself down. Then, bending over, she picked it up again and threw it in the nearby garbage bin.

'_Great,'_ she thought to herself. '_I can't even litter when I'm upset. I'm so eccentric.'_

"But not as eccentric as that sneaky, sneaky nincompoop," she said aloud as she began walking again. "Telling Miyuki stuff like that when she doesn't need to know anything! Just because he gets my friend to agree with him doesn't mean I'll adhere to it! Ugh!"

She sighed. Hisoka was alive, Miyuki was alive, and Itsuki, after having been attacked by the clown, was alive. That was good, but they got unnecessarily involved, and for what? She didn't like it. Not one bit. She was going to find Hisoka and make him take his words back.

"I'll make him eat his words!" she shouted, causing people to look back at her. She ignored them and continued walking. "But I don't know where he is…"

She bit her lip in order to stop herself from crying. Wow, there was no limit to her incompetence. Nen hadn't changed that. Thinking about her new power, she raised her hands and stared at them. Actually, nothing had really changed. She was as slow as ever, still susceptible to bruises and random cuts, and to fainting. She was still so far from Kurapika and Hisoka. Weren't they supposed to be the same now? So why was there still a world of difference between them?

Loud laughter from across the street caught her attention. She would've usually ignored it, but somehow, she just… had to look. And when she did, her blood boiled. There, stepping out of a really flashy red sports car was Hisoka! Then, walking to the other side of his car, he opened the door… for a lovely young lady dressed in a revealing backless, pink dress!

Natsumi gritted her teeth as she watched the two link arms and walk gaily.

"That buffoon!" she yelled, taking a step forward towards them.

Suddenly, a car whizzed by, nearly running her over if not for someone grabbing her back to the sidewalk. She paused as her heart skipped multiple beats. That probably wasn't healthy, especially since it happened too often. She turned to the person who had saved her.

"Thank you…" she said, eyeing the fairly handsome man who still had her by her arm. He had light brown hair and almond-shaped green eyes. He was wearing a purple long-sleeved shirt and a white tie, along with expensive-looking tailored white slacks.

'_Why am I always being saved by Adonis?'_ she thought to herself, thinking about the good-looking men she knew well. She hated her hormones. Why did it have to be acting up all the time?

"You're very welcome," he said, his voice and tone revealing that he spoke with practiced fluidity. "It's not everyday that I get to save a maiden from impending death."

"Right…" she said, blinking at him for quite some time.

"You seem like the shy type. I like shy girls. Why don't you come with me to where I work?"

He reached for her arm and she let him, but she didn't budge when he tried to walk with her. He turned around and looked at her, confused.

"You don't want to have fun with a good-looking guy? I can tell that you find me attractive."

Natsumi's eye twitched erratically. She gritted her teeth as she balled her hands into fists.

"You might want to work on your skills in picking up women," she hissed. "You won't do well if you reek of host club material!"

The man raised his brows in peaking interest. "Wow, I'd usually be offended. I'm the top-selling host in the most popular host club in this city! How'd you know?"

Natsumi rolled her eyes. "For starters, you have such a fake way of speaking – the type one usually hears from a man flattering his way out of an affair. Your clothes might be tailored, but they weren't meant to fit you, which means it was either personally rented or loaned to you by the host club you work for. Finally, I can smell a mixture of both men's cologne and a certain woman's perfume, the latter which probably rubbed off on you while you were 'working.'"

There was a short pause, and then a chuckle. He slung his arm around her neck and leaned close.

"You're a smart one, aren't you? That's not very cute. But I'll reconsider, since I'd want to be the first one to 'break you in,' if you know what I mean."

Natsumi inaudibly gasped and pushed him away. "You're disgusting!"

He laughed again. "I knew you'd say that! So come on. Why miss the opportunity when we know each other so well?"

He grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her along with him, refusing to give her any chance of escape.

"Unhand me, you mutant! Your hands are so greasy!"

The man chuckled loudly. "What did you say? 'Unhand me?' It's like you're from those 18th century novels! I like it!"

Wow. If Hisoka saw how she was being manhandled, he'd probably lose it.

'_But noooooo,'_ she said, rolling her eyes, surprised that she wasn't even panicking. _'He's too busy playing with his new toy to notice! She's so pretty and sparkly too! Everyone wants Glam-girl Barbie!'_

"Excuse me."

Natsumi turned around. Of course, it was Hisoka. Not a second sooner, he raised his hand and hit the man straight on the forehead. He fell to the floor, the impact of Hisoka's strike causing his nose to bleed.

"You bastard!" the man yelled. "My face is my greatest asset! You'll pay for this!"

Hisoka glanced at him condescendingly.

"That is the ugliest asset I have ever had the horror of seeing."

He grabbed him by his hair and pulled him up to his level. The man groaned in pain.

"Speaking of faces," Hisoka continued. "I would advise you to remember mine because I will be sure to remember yours. And if I ever see you again even a hundred yards away from this young lady, you will never have a face to speak of again."

He dropped the man like a rat in a snake's cage. He immediately scampered away, fearing for his life.

There was a long moment of silence. Hisoka stood there, his back turned to her. She could see that his fingers were twitching the slightest bit. Did he want to reach for her? She didn't think that it'd be this easy to find him. She took a small step forward.

"My honey!" a high-pitched voice broke the silence.

The girl from before had clacked her way towards him with her high heels. Natsumi observed her effortless movements. Her pumps were probably around six inches high! Was that even comfortable to walk in? But this girl made it seem so graceful.

"That was so brave of you! So courageous! So manly and heroic!" she said, clinging on to Hisoka's arm like a deranged stalker. "I always knew you were the knight of my dreams!"

That sure hit a nerve.

"What did you say?" Natsumi asked in between her teeth.

The girl glanced at her with a face of arrogance and elitism. Natsumi realized that she was just wearing an old faded pink sweatshirt, jeans, and dirty white sneakers. She didn't change her wardrobe much even after her mom's crazy shopping spree. Next to this elegant woman, she looked like a street kid.

"Eww," the girl said in her girly manner. "Don't be falling in love with him now just because he saved you! Say your thanks and leave my boyfriend alone!"

Natsumi's eye twitched again. Her blood was boiling. Her ears were steaming. This girl… this girl…

"Shut up, you ghastly overdone showgirl!" she yelled, causing Hisoka to look her way. "The knight of your dreams, huh? I'll make it nighttime for you with my fist!"

The girl shrieked and hid behind Hisoka. "Eww! She's threatening to hit me, Kiho-san! Such a savage!"

Natsumi trudged towards her and pushed Hisoka away. He was too taken aback by Natsumi's lashing out to do anything.

"Savage?!" Natsumi yelled. "Did daddy teach you that word?! Stay away from him, airhead!"

"You fashion loser!"

"Incorrigible rascal!"

"Fat donut!"

"Insipid monstrosity!"

"Pimply goose!"

"Flatulent reptile!"

The girl stopped and gasped as disbelief clouded her features.

"You… you did not just call me a cow!"

Natsumi slapped her own face. "Cows aren't reptiles, you idiot! Even a kid in third grade knows that!"

The girl growled and slapped Natsumi in the face. Natsumi's eyes widened in shock, but her entire expression soon turned into a devilish form.

"You…just…hit…my…FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Natsumi roared out loud and the girl shrieked in terror. Natsumi was about to jump and hit the girl back, but suddenly, Hisoka intervened. He held on to Natsumi's shoulder so as not to let her advance. And then, facing the other girl, he scowled deeply. Both girls froze. He was scary.

"You are fortunate that you are a woman," he said, grabbing her neck and squeezing it ever so lightly. "Had you been a man, the hand you used to hit my precious princess would be long gone by now. But woman or man, nobody gets away with striking her like that."

And with those words, he threw her aside roughly, ignoring his earlier sentiment about women. Her heels broke and her dress tore. Tears ran down her cheeks, ruining her make-up. Hisoka glared at her.

"I hope you didn't get the wrong idea," he said suddenly. "I was never listening to what you were saying. I was only laughing because you sounded so stupid."

And with that, he walked away, pulling Natsumi along.

---

_Quickly, take me with you_

_Don't dare leave me behind_

_Lest I never see daylight _

_Lest I lose sight of you_

---

Hisoka wasn't stopping. He just kept on walking. And she was getting tired. He hadn't said a word since the confrontation and neither did she. She already knew that he was taking her home, though. It was safe there. The silence dragged on as the night was settling in. They hadn't really walked together in a while. Hisoka had her by her wrist and was walking ahead. He really didn't want to look at her, did he?

Natsumi stopped. Hisoka complied, but he didn't turn around. She glanced up at him and watched his movements. He was stiff and unresponsive, and she knew it was because he was trying to stop himself from undoing everything that had been accomplished.

"Kurapika told me that he loved me," she said.

She felt Hisoka's grip tighten ever so slightly, but he didn't move an inch. She looked at the ground.

"What do you have to say to that?" she asked, her voice almost breaking.

He didn't respond. It was like that for a long time. She fixed her gaze on his muscled arm. There were signs of Machi's handiwork, although it looked hurriedly done than usual. There were two patches of uneven skin, which she assumed was the part that hadn't healed well after being burnt by Milluki's explosive. She traced her fingers over it, and Hisoka visibly tensed even more.

"Please say something!" Natsumi shouted.

He still didn't say a word. She was crying again. She was amazed how other people weren't tired of her tears, because she really was tired of them. So weak… She had to shape up! But she couldn't… not if Hisoka was refusing to say anything.

"I'm your princess, right?" she asked, wiping her tears and nose on her sleeve. "You just said so earlier! You can't lie to me! I'm smart, so I know if you're lying!"

"I've tried…" he said, sounding pained. "I've tried to call you anything else… and I succeeded once. But I cannot call you anything else but my princess… because that is what you are. It is universal."

Natsumi smiled, her hopes rising.

"And you are my knight, Hisoka! I hate cheesiness, but that's the truth!"

"It is the truth…" he repeated. "However, the knight cannot be with the princess, because she must be with the prince. While the knight has the sword, the prince has the scarlet pendant. And so she must be with the prince, who can give her all that she needs. That is how the fairytale ends."

He immediately let go of her wrist. His arm fell limply to his side. Natsumi threw herself towards him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Being noble doesn't suit you at all!" she yelled, burying her face in his rigid back. "You're supposed to be selfish and possessive, stealing and keeping things for yourself! You aren't supposed to give them away! You can't give _me_ away!"

And like that, she cried and soaked the back of his shirt as the night wore away. There was nothing else that she wanted. There was nobody else. This crazy fool that she was holding… was all she wanted.

"Please don't push me away anymore," she said, closing her eyes. "I don't know how much more of it I can handle…"

Hisoka lowered his head. He touched Natsumi's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"My princess," he said. There was so much despair in his voice. "You do not understand… I have planned this so that it has permanence."

Natsumi let him go and took a step back. "What do you mean by… permanence?"

Hisoka turned around, revealing a very exhausted expression. It was as though he was starving, almost at the brink of death. He fell on one knee, breathing deeply like there was a lack of oxygen.

"Hisoka!" she shouted, falling next to him. "What do you mean by permanence!?"

He gazed at her and smiled.

"He and I made it so that… whenever I am within two feet of you," he said, suddenly coughing out blood. "I lose a fraction of my lifespan. How much time I spend with you…is the amount of time that is taken away. And so… the two hours I have held your hand today… has taken two hours off of my life."

Natsumi shook her head, afraid to say it out loud. "Kurapika… There's no way…"

"I have…" Hisoka coughed again. "The Judgement Chain wrapped around my heart."

---

End of Chapter!

How was it? I'm really glad that I fixed it up. See what feedback does? Lol. I've been studying way too hard lately so I just _had_ to write. Stress reliever!

Thank you for reading and hoping for more of your feedback!


	26. The Murderer

Okay, before anyone throws random sharp, pointy objects at me... I'm sorry! I know that I haven't updated for two months. Believe me, it was tough for me too! I had no idea what to write, and I even went through six different versions of what was supposed to be the same chapter! Ugh. It was horrible. But now I finally got to finish it. It's a short one, which is probably going to make you guys upset, but it's still nice (I hope...) Anyway, I'm going to have a little vacation time so I have time to write some more! Woohoo! I'll shut up now.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter or its characters. I own Natsumi and certain things about her.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 25: The Murderer

* * *

**

_I'll steal as many things from you as I can_

_So that when you come looking for them_

_You'll keep coming back to me_

_Each time, forever and always

* * *

_

'_If Hisoka died,'_ Natsumi thought to herself as she sat on the floor of her room. _'What would I do?'_

She took the small gold booklet in front of her and flipped it open to a marked page, where her name was written in bold letters. SALUTATORIAN, it read. She rolled her eyes and tossed the booklet in a box of keepsakes.

'_I'd probably die too,'_ she thought, resting her chin on her knee. _'If he died because of me.'

* * *

_

_Lead me with your love_

_Remedy my blindness with light_

_The only kind that I can see_

_And that only you can give me

* * *

_

"Congratulations!" the headmaster of the school proclaimed over the microphone. "You are now high school graduates!"

Kashmire Academy's Graduation Ceremony, held in the school's auditorium, was well-known around the world. The bullet proof walls were lined with the students' graduation portraits, each hand-painted by York Shin's finest master artists. The graduation gowns were immaculate white with gold lining at the hem. The graduation caps were of the same color, but tassels were made of real, finely threaded 24-karat gold strands.

Because of the high concentration of wealthy families, only two guests were allowed per student. Aside from that, only twenty more invitations were auctioned out to other family members and friends, and prices typically reached the millions. Security was the highest priority.

"So will you guys please tell me," Natsumi said with an exasperated sigh. "How in the world did you ALL manage to get in?"

The whole group of the Genei Ryodan took up the entire second row of the middle aisle, behind only the school officials and guest speakers. She didn't even know they planned to attend and only found out when she walked past them to get her diploma on the stage.

"We've got connections," Franklin replied. "At least that's what Hisoka said to tell you in case-"

Franklin's next words were muffled by the sudden stuffing of four decks of cards in his mouth. Hisoka appeared next to him, all prim and proper in a tuxedo. Even his hair was slicked back neatly. Natsumi's cheeks went red as she prevented herself from gawking at him. He looked absolutely handsome.

He gave her a smile and reached for her face, but she hastily drew back and pretended to giggle.

"Oh, Miyuki's over there!" Natsumi stammered as she turned to her left and waved. Miyuki ran over, dragging her boyfriend along with her.

"Congratulations, Natsumi-chan!" Miyuki said as she grabbed her in a tight hug. "I'm gonna miss seeing you in your school uniform!"

"Ahh," Hisoka sighed in nostalgia. "So will I."

Miyuki grabbed Hisoka and Natsumi by their waists and pulled them tightly to both her sides.

"Take a picture!" she called out to her boyfriend, who promptly took five snapshots in three seconds. "There we go! Now, the two of you together!"

She pushed them next to each other, and Hisoka gladly wrapped his arm around Natsumi's neck.

"But Hisoka…" Natsumi trailed off as she looked up at him, worry clouding her features. She didn't know how it was possible, but he immediately grew paler and his eyes lost their glow.

"It's alright, princess," he said, grinning. "Three seconds never hurt anybody."

Natsumi wanted to argue about that, although it wasn't anything she wanted to disagree with, despite how much she thought it was wrong.

Hisoka pulled her closer and gave the camera a smile. Natsumi forced herself to do the same. After three shots were taken, Natsumi retreated and set her hands behind her, as if stopping herself from latching onto him any further.

Just then, Kurapika arrived.

"Congratulations…" he said, handing her a bouquet of pink tulips. His cheeks were tinted red as well, and he couldn't look her straight in the eye.

Pink tulips, her favorite. Seeing Kurapika's skeptical face reminded her of the day he told her how he felt. The memory was as fresh as the flowers he was handing over to her. Why did things have to happen the way they did?

"Thank you," she said, taking the flowers in her arms. "Uhh… I'm really glad that you could make it."

"He wasn't invited though," Hisoka said, stepping forward and setting an even bigger bouquet of pink tulips in Natsumi's arms.

Natsumi's eye twitched.

"Neither were you," she said in between gritted teeth.

Kurapika smiled and turned around.

"It's best if I go now," he said, walking away. "I'm not good with celebrations."

"Ahh, Kurapika!" Natsumi shouted as she ran after him. He stopped and turned around to look at her. He felt a strong pain in his chest when he saw the big smile that she gave him. Why was she so nice to him?

"It's okay," she said, looking at the flowers again. "Hisoka told me but… I forgive you for what you did to him. You did what you had to do, right? I don't hate you or anything… so it's okay if you want to stay a while."

Kurapika's chest hurt even more. Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, causing her to drop all the gifts and flowers from her arms. He rested his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes. He didn't want to let her go… It felt too good holding her like that. He wanted her too much.

"Thanks," he said, a small genuine smile appearing on his lips. "But as surprising as it sounds, I really do have far less self-control than that other guy. So as much as I want to, I can't stay."

He released her from his grip and leaned in, but at the last second, he stopped himself and took a step back.

"See?" he said, chuckling to himself, although there was a darker ring to it.

Natsumi wanted to laugh along, but she couldn't. Kurapika bent down to pick up the gifts that had fallen to the ground, and Natsumi helped him.

"I'm sorry," Kurapika said, picking up the bouquet that had been given by Hisoka. "I know I've made you sad… but I guess I just wanted to be selfish. I give too much of myself for other reasons. I just wanted to do something for myself for a change."

Natsumi stood up and smiled. She understood what he meant. After all, her mother was her life before everything happened. There were moments when she could've just walked away, kept silent, or ran away. But she didn't, because this time, it was for herself.

"I know," she said, choosing not to sound like she was patronizing him. "I really do understand, but you have to know, Kurapika…"

He smiled back.

"I know," he said, like he had been expecting it. "You're going to do things for yourself too. So I don't mind if you try to look for a way to break the restriction."

Natsumi nodded. "I won't just try. I will."

They stood like that for a while, looking at each other with wide smiles – simple gestures that held so much meaning for both of them and for everyone. Smiles that challenged each other but supported each other at the same time.

"Okay, enough of this atmosphere!" Hisoka shouted, standing in between the two with his arms outstretched on both sides.

Kurapika frowned. "I hope you know how lucky you are, clown."

With that, he turned around and left.

Natsumi sighed aloud and hit Hisoka square on the face with her rolled up diploma. He pretended to whimper like a wounded puppy and sat on the floor, holding his head with his hands to protect himself.

"I'm sorry, princess," he said, laughing nervously. "But he was being too friendly with you… I really wanted to rip him to shreds."

Natsumi looked at the floor to conceal her little pout.

"Saying that so casually is a bit scary, don't you think?" she asked, realizing that Hisoka could really rip a person in half if he wanted to. Or maybe he already has. But she kept that part to herself.

"So will you really do it?" he asked, straying from what they were talking about. "Will you really break the judgement chain?"

Natsumi saw his sincere eyes and looked away instinctively. He looked absolutely handsome whenever he was serious. Her cheeks went red as she played with her fingers.

"Yeah," she said, clearing her throat. "I don't know how, but I will. I've got nen now, so I should be able to do something, right? I just have to learn how to use it."

Hisoka didn't seem too pleased with the idea, but it wasn't his choice. And besides, if she wanted to do something, she would. She wanted to say more to reassure him, but something suddenly caught her eye, along with a bad feeling.

Behind Hisoka, far away from where they stood, a tall man was talking to her mother. He was dressed nicely, so he was probably one of the guests or parents. Her mother looked wary and seemed like she wasn't having any fun at all chatting with him.

Natsumi decided to move closer to them, and as she walked over, she was glad she did.

"You're a housewife now, you say?" the man asked her, stifling a laugh. "You don't have a husband, so you can't call yourself a housewife, can you?"

Her mother looked away, not really knowing what to say.

"I'm a stay-at-home mom, then," she said, looking around for a reason to walk away. She didn't even see Natsumi standing a few feet from her. She was probably feeling really apprehensive.

"So you've quit completely?" he asked, which made Natsumi's heart clench painfully. "Come on. Once you're in, you can't get back out unless you get fat or grow old. You're clearly neither so why don't we just swing by my place for old time's sake?"

"No, I'm not interested," she said, turning away. "Please leave me alone. My daughter is probably looking for me."

"That dainty girl who got all those medals?" he said. "I'm sure she won't mind. Let's go."

He grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him. She resisted, but it was clear that Natsumi had inherited her lack of physical strength from her. He dragged her about two feet before he got hit in the head with a shoe.

He turned to the source and found Natsumi glowering at him with her fists tightly clenched at her sides. He looked down at her feet and she was indeed missing one heel. She bent her knee and took her other shoe, raising her arm in the air to throw it at him.

"You're tougher than you look, huh?" he said, smirking. "Maybe you should come along too. Then you can learn a thing or two from your mother."

"Shut up!" she yelled, gritting her teeth in anger. "Let her go, pervert!"

This was what she hated the most in the world. Whenever men recognized her mother in the streets or in the mall, it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as it was pitiful. It wasn't like there was a reset button that could wipe away everything that had happened in the past. Even after escaping from such an unclean world, people could still run after you and drag you back in.

He gave her a sardonic grin and wrapped his arm around her mother as he pressed his lips against her hair. Natsumi frowned even further.

"What are you going to do?" he chuckled. "Hit me with your other shoe?"

She was pissed. She couldn't help it anymore. Were people already watching the scene? It didn't matter… so long as that man took his dirty hands off of her mother.

"You're right," she said. "This rock is probably better."

She picked up a small rock and raised it far behind her. She aimed for his face and threw it at him. But she didn't expect it to reach him so… blindingly fast.

Red glowing light, like an aura, had wrapped itself around the rock and sped its way to hit him. Since Natsumi's aim was a little off, it had hit his chest instead, and the force was surprisingly stronger than she had thought it would be. The rock seemed to be pushing him backwards. Suddenly, as if the glowing light's force had shaped it into a more deadly shape, the rock smoothened and pierced through his skin in a stab-like manner, causing blood to spurt down silently.

A woman shrieked upon glancing at the bloody man, and in an instant, Hisoka had grabbed Natsumi and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Nobunaga took Natsumi's mother and disappeared just the same. A single second after the woman's scream, the entire Genei Ryodan was gone.

_

* * *

They say that some people_

_Were really made for each other_

_If so, I wonder_

_Who was made first?

* * *

_

Hisoka finally set Natsumi on her feet when they reached the elevator of a hotel.

"Why did you take me with you?" Natsumi yelled, taking a few steps away from him to stay away from the critical proximity. "That's considered a hit-and-run, Hisoka!"

He stood still, not knowing what to do.

"Would you rather have the school, your classmates, not to mention the guests see what happened, with you as the culprit? Or your mother, who was standing next to him?"

She set both of her hands on her face and shook her head in frustration.

"What have I done?" she said, tears threatening to fall. "I stabbed him! How was that even possible?"

"Please calm down, princess," Hisoka said, taking a step forward to comfort her. She pushed him away and crouched down in the corner of the elevator. She shook her head violently once more.

Hisoka glanced at her, a helpless expression on his face. He sighed and pressed the button for their designated floor. Natsumi clutched her head and tugged at her hair, as if to channel her thoughts elsewhere.

"It wasn't your fault," Hisoka said, his voice soft.

"To hell it wasn't!" she yelled. "I hit his heart! Did you see how much blood was gushing out?"

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Hisoka kept the doors open with his foot as he held out his hand. Natsumi was still on the floor, shaking like she was slowly dying of hypothermia. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were parted in worry. She was scared.

"Princess," Hisoka spoke, taking his foot off the elevator doors and bending down to her level. "These elevators have cameras. If you act this way, you will only attract suspicion."

She looked at him. Hisoka usually had fierce eyes, but whenever he looked at her, they were always kind and so full of… She couldn't think about it.

He pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her. When they entered the room, everyone except Machi was already there.

"My dear baby!" her mother rushed to her side upon seeing her daughter. "These people told me what happened. Don't worry, I'm sure that the mister is fine."

Natsumi didn't know what to say. She fell to the floor once more and set her hands to her face in shame. What really happened anyway? She was telling the man to stay away… and then she stabbed him! How could that have happened if it was just a rock?

The window of the room suddenly slid open and Machi jumped inside. There were bloodstains on her kimono and a single drop of blood on her face. Natsumi glanced at her, a hopeful expression occupying her features, but Machi didn't seem too ecstatic. The kunoichi leaned on the wall and crossed her arms.

"I tried," she said, closing her eyes as if pissed. "But the rock had smashed two-thirds of his heart."

Franklin sat down on the bed as he looked at her.

"You mean he died?" he asked, surprised that Machi's skills had failed.

"Yeah," Machi said in an annoyed tone. "His heart stopped as soon as he was hit, and you know I can't really do anything for dead people."

"And how about the guests?" Nobunaga asked. "Did they see anything?"

"No," Machi said, walking over to the bathroom to wash her stained clothes. "I asked the woman about what she saw, but it seems like she only saw the man, and no one else, not even Natsumi's mom."

Silence filled the room. They all turned to Natsumi, whose eyes were again wide and bloodshot. Her lips quivered, but she couldn't move. She had killed someone… With her hands… Somebody died because of her, because of what she did. She was a murderer!

"Princess," Hisoka spoke cautiously, knowing fully well what was going through her mind. "You had no control over your strength. It was an acci-"

"I _killed_ someone, Hisoka!" she yelled, standing up and grabbing him by his shirt. "Taking someone's life might not matter to _you_, but it does to _me._ I'm a murderer! I should be jailed for what I did!"

She fell to the floor and pounded on the ground with her fists. She didn't even touch that man… she didn't even know who he was… but somehow, his blood had gotten all over her hands and arms. She could see it. She was dripping with blood – the blood of a person she had killed.

"Princess," Hisoka said again, his face contorted in worry. "Nobody saw that it was you. You are safe."

She glanced up at him from the ground and shook her head.

"You don't get it, do you?" she asked. "You've killed hundreds of people. You don't care about taking away another person's life… That man is somebody's son, somebody's brother, and he must even be somebody's father!"

Natsumi hid her face from view as a few tears escaped. Of course they didn't understand… She couldn't blame them. She had accepted the fact that in their world, it was killed or be killed. She had a taste of it in the past, especially when Alphonse was after her. She saw people die right before her eyes. But this time, it was different. It was her fault.

"It's called 'shu,'" Hisoka finally said, sitting on the ground next to her.

Natsumi glanced at him, her eyes red from letting tears go.

"What?"

Hisoka materialized a deck of cards in his hands and shuffled them expertly. He took one, which happened to be the joker, and balanced it on his fingertip.

"Shu," he repeated. "What you did back there is just the same as this."

With a flick of his wrist, the card flew from his hand and embedded itself in the wall across from where they sat. He flicked five more cards towards the wall, forming a smiley face.

"When you put your aura around an object, it becomes stronger. You probably did it without thinking. Anger sometimes fuels our strength, so we end up doing things we never intended."

Natsumi cast her eyes down at her hands. So her newly acquired power had done it. Nen did it. Not her. Right? She didn't mean to. It still wasn't okay but… at least she could be forgiven… right?

"So it isn't your fault, princess," Hisoka said, taking her in his arms like an injured puppy. "And I know for a fact that no matter how angry you get, you still would never want someone dead."

Natsumi felt safe in his arms. Hisoka didn't always know what to do or say, but at that moment, he was pretty awesome. She buried her face in his chest and breathed in his scent. He didn't wear any cologne or anything, but he had a particular… Hisoka-like smell.

Her phone suddenly rang. Hisoka had returned it to her somehow, and she had no complaints this time. She took it out of her graduation gown's pocket and stared at the screen, where Miyuki's name had registered.

"The graduation party!" Natsumi blurted out. "I completely forgot!"

She pressed the button to answer and set it to her ear.

"Miyuki! I'm so sorry! Is everyone already there?"

Miyuki seemed distracted on the other line. She sounded like she was running while talking.

"Hey, Natsumi-chan!" she said, panting as she spoke. "Sorry, I'm not there yet either. I actually called to tell you I'm gonna be extremely late, so will you tell the others?"

"Oh, sure thing," Natsumi replied.

Miyuki seemed to be talking to somebody next to her. She probably took the phone away from her face so that Natsumi wouldn't find her rude.

"I already looked over there!" she heard Miyuki shout.

A sudden pain surged through Natsumi's chest as her eyes widened.

"Sorry about that," Miyuki finally spoke into the phone again. "Anyway, I'll be late because we can't seem to find my dad right now."

* * *

End of chapter! OMG. Really? Yeah, really.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Feedback is really, seriously, omg-ly appreciated.


	27. The Friendly Foe

Hi, everyone! A new chapter for you! It's very short. I think it's the shortest one I've ever written. It somehow felt complete. BUT, I've included a thorough explanation about a particular part in this chapter (you'll see about what later on) at the bottom. If you feel confused, you can choose to read it later. Yay!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter. I own my character Natsumi and some aspects about her that aren't derivatives that can be found in the anime or manga.

Here we go!

* * *

_Previously:_

_"Hey, Natsumi-chan!" Miyuki said, panting as she spoke. "Sorry, I'm not there yet either. I'm gonna be extremely late, so will you tell the others?"_

_"Oh, sure thing," Natsumi replied._

_Miyuki seemed to be talking to somebody next to her. She probably took the phone away from her face so that Natsumi wouldn't find her rude._

_"I already looked over there!" she heard Miyuki shout. A sudden pain surged through Natsumi's chest as her eyes widened._

_"Sorry about that," Miyuki finally spoke into the phone again. "Anyway, I'll be late because we can't seem to find my dad right now."

* * *

_

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 26: The Friendly Foe

* * *

**

Natsumi dropped the phone on the floor, pure shock ironed on her face. It was as if time stood still and it was going to remain that way forever. She probably wouldn't have minded if time had actually stopped, but this was reality, and so the soft ticking of her watch grew louder and louder until it forced her to snap out of her daze. She glanced at the cellphone she had dropped, as if trying to convince herself that what she had heard wasn't true.

"Natsumi-chan? Are you there?" Miyuki's voice shook Natsumi's entire frame as she felt a strong tangible chill run down her spine like icy water. "Will you help me look if you aren't busy?"

Natsumi didn't know what exactly came over her, but she found herself lifting her foot and pounding on the little pink phone with her heel. She bottled up her voice as she lashed out her frustration on the ground. It took five good strikes of her foot to crack the screen, and finally a tenth strike to break through the hard plastic casing. A few of the pink diamond studs came off and scattered across the carpet, but they made no audible sound.

It was unhealthy, Natsumi thought, for an atmosphere to carry this much emotional tension but be as quiet as a grave. All that could be heard was the breaking of what used to be her phone. She could've sworn that Hisoka winced at what she had done, but it was just a little too early for regret. She panted as she finally stopped beating the object, looking straight ahead without actually seeing anything or anyone in front of her.

And she stood that way for a long time. Her mother was on the bed behind her, sleeping deeply like a tired child. Having seen what her daughter had done, she could do nothing but retreat to a world where no trouble could find her.

She shook her head.

"I killed him."

With those words, she walked towards the door. Hisoka immediately followed behind her, but she had stopped in her tracks before he could get any closer.

"Please don't follow me," she said, clenching her fists tightly to her sides. "Please, Hisoka?"

Hisoka stood motionless for a second, wondering where exactly she was going, or if she knew where to go at all. He couldn't bear the thought of not knowing where she'd be. York Shin was a big place, and big places usually had a very good side and a very bad side to it. Despite having lived there for years, Natsumi probably still didn't know where the boundaries were.

"Hisoka," Natsumi said sharply, calling his attention.

And like a dog being sent away by his master, he turned away from her and looked out at the window instead.

"Yes, princess."

The sound of Natsumi's loud heartbeat echoed in his mind until the main door finally shut closed. He could tell that she still stood outside the hotel room, hesitating. Her breathing had suddenly changed. Was she crying? Hisoka helplessly turned to look at the door, taking a step forward.

And then she was gone.

* * *

_Have you gone looking for me?_

_I'm back, you see_

_But the room is cold and empty_

_I'll have to wait an eternity again

* * *

_

Natsumi stood by herself in the Night Art Museum of York Shin, pretending to admire one of the artworks. There were only three other people inside, although that was hardly surprising for a Tuesday at 11:30 PM. She figured these people were either jobless or out of school, but who was she to judge? She just killed a man. It was completely unrelated, but she couldn't help it.

'_I was slowly killing Hisoka, too,'_ she thought. _'How could this have happened?'_

She was going to find a way to save Hisoka. At least that was what she wanted to do, but it was close to impossible now. She didn't exactly know what to do or where to go, and she had the sudden feeling of regret for forcing Hisoka to stay behind. Her thoughts of regret made her feel a lot worse. Was it really fine and dandy for Hisoka to lose more hours of his life just because she didn't want to be alone? She was a monster.

"Your aura is leaking all over the place."

A man's voice.

The cold but calm tone and the murderous intent in the air challenged those of Illumi's, but who was this? His voice… it was so sweet and mellow, but it was so meaningfully powerful. And so she turned around.

Behind her was a man who was, without a doubt, captivatingly handsome. Was York Shin the capital of beauty? His black hair was combed back like he was a classy villain in an action blockbuster. His starless eyes were darker than the night itself, and his gaze made Natsumi believe that maybe "peering into one's soul" was ultimately possible. Even his nose, which was narrow and sharp, was flawless, leading down to his slightly pouting lips, which looked absolutely… erotic.

Natsumi blushed at her own thoughts. She couldn't believe that she'd ever use that word one day. But all she could look at was this man in front of her. She knew that she'd soon be in big trouble, because all the good-looking men she had ever met always brought along some new crazy adventure, which always ended with a trip to the hospital. Well, she could only blame herself for speeding when the light was yellow.

As she stared at him, she set her eyes on his forehead. Despite his beauty, his most striking feature wasn't anything that she had previously described; it was the tattoo of a thin black cross on his forehead.

"It seems that I have finally captured your attention," he said as he set his hands into his pockets. It was then that she realized that he wasn't wearing a shirt, but a long fur coat.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked him, not exactly sure why she was talking to this stranger, who had as much murderous air in him as the eldest Zaoldyeck son. Wasn't she afraid?

"Four hours."

"Four hours? I didn't see you there when I came in."

He stared at her with his deep gaze and she wondered if he was as thoughtful as his eyes looked. She felt her face heat up as a result of his apparent scrutiny.

"How long do you think you've been here?" he finally asked.

"An hour and a half?" she hesitated, not entirely sure.

He paused for a moment, and then looked at the clock, prompting Natsumi to look at it as well. It was 4:00 in the morning.

"Four and a half hours," he finally said.

She looked at her old watch just in case the unknown man had changed the clock to make fun of her. But no, her watch held the same time, if not five minutes in advance because she liked being early. The realization finally hit her. Her knees felt rusty and her legs ached because of the lactic acid buildup. Who knew standing motionless for that long would be more painful than moving around for the same length of time?

"And you've been walking for nearly four hours prior to coming here," he continued.

She frowned.

"Have you been following me?"

He raised his brows in interest as he looked at her, as if seeing something that completely attracted him. Do normal good-looking people even exist in York Shin? Everyone seemed crazy.

"Such a beautiful raw aura," he said, walking towards her. "So pure and untouched, and it's growing stronger with each of my steps."

"Listen," she said threateningly. "Stay away from me, you hear?"

He wasn't listening. His eyes grew wider, as if in a trance as he watched her red aura leak from every pore of her body. Her aura steadily grew bigger and bigger the closer he got, as if forming a coat of defense against whatever he was going to do. He raised his hand as Natsumi closed her eyes in fear of what he was going to do. Why couldn't she run?

She felt his hand land softly on her head. And that was it.

"Would you like me to teach you how to control your nen?" he asked.

Natsumi slowly cracked an eye open to look at him. His calm face had returned and the scary air around him had disappeared, but his hand was still on her head.

"No thank you," she said, gently pushing his hand away. She turned around to leave the museum. Sure, she still didn't know squat about nen even after having accidentally used it, but she felt that being in the presence of an unknown nen user was dangerous.

"That's fine, but you might accidentally kill somebody again."

Her pupils suddenly dilated as if she had just been shot with a very potent drug.

"How did you know?" she asked, looking up at him. "Who are you exactly?"

There was a pause once more. Was he thinking about whether or not he should tell her who he really was? She couldn't tell.

"Lucifer," he finally said. "Kuroro Lucifer. Won't you come with me?"

If it had been any other person, she would've laughed at the intensity of the name. Somehow, she couldn't at all. She couldn't even make any snide comments in her head. All she could think of was that if the devil himself decided to walk among men, then she had just met him.

And as if Natsumi really wanted to die in her very own sick, masochistic way, she grinned.

"Do you mind if I call you Kuroro, then?" she quipped. "I don't wanna go around telling people that I'm friends with Lucifer."

* * *

_Show me how to stop_

_I've never gone this far before_

_By the time I woke up_

_It was too far to turn back  


* * *

_

Kurapika punched the side of Hisoka's face, sending the clown flying across the room and onto the floor. Natsumi's mother shrieked, but the members of the Spider group were too used to this scene that they didn't even bother to defend their comrade. Hisoka wiped the blood on his lips with his thumb as he faced his rival with eyes of concern.

"What happened to my princess?" Hisoka immediately asked, standing up as if nothing had happened.

Kurapika gritted his teeth as he threw a plastic CD case at the floor, landing just in front of Hisoka's feet. Hisoka knew that it was demeaning for him to pick it up, but if his princess was in trouble, he'd sell even his dignity to protect her.

"I don't think you even deserve to know," Kurapika spat as he watched Hisoka pick it up. "Every time I give her to you, you just throw her away!"

Hisoka scowled. "I said tell me what happened to my princess!"

The entire room shook. Even Machi winced a little. Hisoka rarely raised his voice, but hearing him shout at the top of his big lungs was a shock to a person's nervous system. To say it was frightening was an extreme understatement, but Kurapika was too deep in his anger that Hisoka's voice only made it through his ears and disappeared.

"Kuroro has her," Kurapika said, causing Hisoka's heart to freeze longer than what was usually deadly. "That's a recording from the Night Museum early this morning. The audio is disabled so we can't hear. They aren't facing the camera so we can't read their lips."

Hisoka inserted the CD inside the DVD player of the television provided in the room. At first, only static and white noise surfaced. After a few seconds, an empty museum popped into the screen. Natsumi walked into the camera's view, her head bowed down low and her shoulders slumped forward in a hopeless overtone. She was dragging her feet, as if the only energy she had left was reserved for her final step.

She stopped in front of a small watercolor painting the size of a piece of college-ruled notebook paper. It was a painting of a small classic cottage with white brick walls, a brown door, small square windowpanes, and a roof made of thatched yellow hay. And Natsumi stood there, just looking up at it. The DVD automatically switched on fast forward mode. After half an hour on the clock, Kuroro appeared on the screen a few feet behind her. Neither of the two moved an inch until four hours later, when the DVD slowed down to its regular speed.

Natsumi turned around, looking afraid and defensive. Her face was paler than when she had left. She was probably feeling cold, hungry, and tired to the point of unconsciousness. After a short exchange between the two and Kuroro's touch to her head, Natsumi grinned. Hisoka's blood ran cold. She was definitely trying to get herself killed as compensation for having killed someone else.

Hisoka pushed the TV with his palm, causing the machine to fly through the wall and into the next room, which was vacant.

"Princess, watch out..." Hisoka murmured in agony. "That man is interested in the power of your strong aura."

Kurapika shook his head.

"It's not that simple," he said. "Kuroro probably knows about Natsumi's unshaped nen and that it's possible for her to create any kind of ability because she has a clean slate. Of course, the only thing he has in his mind is for her to learn how to break restrictions. He might even go as far as to falsely teach her how to devote all of her nen for the sake of breaking only _my_ restrictions. Because it's extremely specific, it'll be extremely effective."

"But my princess won't allow such a thing!" Hisoka said. "She may not know who he really is, but her intuition is the sharpest I've ever seen."

Kurapika shook his head a second time.

"Sure, she might be suspicious, but have you forgotten about this?" he asked, twitching a finger that caused the chain around Hisoka's heart to clench every so slightly. "Kuroro knows that I've set a similar restriction on you. That in itself would prompt Natsumi to follow everything he says if it means saving you. Aside from that, he undoubtedly told her that if she didn't learn how to control her nen, she'd definitely kill another innocent person. Of course, there's also no doubt that Kuroro will steal the ability from her anyway, as soon as he's free."

Hisoka punched the table where the television set used to be. It broke into pieces.

"My princess should be smarter than that..." Hisoka whispered to himself.

Kurapika retrieved the CD from the TV, stepping on debris all the way to the other room. The CD plate wouldn't spit out the CD because it was too broken, so Kurapika tore it apart with his hands and took it out himself.

"Of course she's smart," Kurapika said, setting the CD aside. "But she doesn't know anything about nen, much less that there's an existing ability that steals others' abilities. Once he steals it from her, I will be powerless against him. Kuroro knows that. Natsumi is his greatest weapon."

"Well, I am going to kill him this time, whether or not he can use his nen again," Hisoka growled, ignoring the sudden surge of protective impulses the rest of the Ryodan had because of his words. He lifted his left arm and set it in between his teeth. Biting down deeply, he tore a portion of his flesh, revealing a small part of his bone amongst all the blood.

Hisoka turned to Natsumi's mother, who had nearly passed out because of the gory spectacle that had just unraveled before her. He lifted his arm once more, allowing the blood to ooze heavily out of the wound and drip to the floor.

"This wound will heal in 24 hours," Hisoka said to her, clenching his fist. "I will definitely bring my princess back before then. If I am a second late, both of my arms will be offered to you. If a minute, then my head."

Natsumi's mother couldn't say a word as she watched Kurapika and Hisoka walk out of the hotel room together. She then glanced at the Genei Ryodan. An air of uneasiness and torment surrounded each member, and Natsumi's mother could feel it.

"Will my baby be okay?" she asked, setting a heavy hand on her chest.

It took a while for any of them to move or say anything. They usually knew how to react in mere milliseconds if something important needed immediate action. But they just didn't know what to do. Machi finally took the first step towards the door, leaving the question unanswered. Everyone followed suit.

The last person out of the room was Nobunaga, who had an intensely distressed look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning his back to her and heading towards the door. "We've been searching for the Boss for a very long time now and we've finally found him. Whatever he wants to do with Natsumi... we will make sure it will happen."

* * *

End of Chapter!

How was it? If you guys are confused about Kurapika's explanation of what he thinks Kuroro is planning to do, here's the simplified explanation.

In this story, Kuroro also has the restriction Kurapika placed on him as in the anime. Because Natsumi has "unshaped nen," she can pretty much learn any kind of ability with the help of the Scarlet Eye (which used to be Kurapika's left eye), which allows her to use all nen types with 100 percent efficiency. Kuroro plans to teach her how to create an ability that can break restrictions. Kurapika believes that it'll be easy to convince Natsumi because of her longing to break Hisoka's restriction. Also, if she learns how to control her nen, she will never have to accidentally kill another person again. What Kurapika is most afraid of is that Natsumi might learn how to break only his restrictions. If Kuroro manages to steal it, then Kurapika will forever be powerless against him.

And that's it! I hope the explanation was helpful! I know it was supposed to be clearer, but I guess it's a complicated plot in itself. How did I even come up with this stuff? Well, I guess those sleepless nights weren't for nothing.

Thank you for reading and please review! As I always say, your feedback is very much appreciated and keeps me going!


	28. Lilith

Hello, everyone! I think this is the first time I've ever updated so fast. Well, I guess I was really psyched about what was going to happen that I didn't stop writing for a couple of days. I really like this chapter, so I hope you guys will, too! I got a few reviews saying that I strayed away from the real nature of the characters, and I totally agree. I tried to fix it with this chapter, so hopefully it will be better. Also, at the end of this chapter, Natsumi is wearing something different. I hope you guys can imagine what it looks like!

Without further ado, the disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter X Hunter.

Here we go!

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 27: Lilith

* * *

**

Natsumi couldn't understand herself fully. Why was she following this suspicious man like a faithful pet? She didn't know anything about him. Even worse, he was obviously hiding so many things. So why? Why wasn't she running away while she had the chance? Well, she was sure that this guy seemed to be one of the more powerful ones, which meant that even if she did run away, he'd have no problem retrieving her. Even so, why didn't she even try?

"You will begin your training now," he said, turning a corner. "There are many people who are protective of you, so they might be on their way by now. If we're fast, we might be able to avoid them."

Natsumi's cheeks went red. She wasn't some kid to be looked after! Besides, she told Hisoka not to follow her. Well, it was difficult to tell if he would actually listen. It was most likely that he did, since here she was, chatting up with some stranger without any knight-like disruption. If Kurapika found out that Hisoka let her go by herself, then that was a completely different story.

"Before we begin," Kuroro said, stopping to turn around and look at her. "I will give you some rules that you must never break."

"Rules?" Natsumi repeated, quite annoyed. "I feel like these rules of yours won't be the regular 'no running in the hallway,' type."

Kuroro didn't laugh at her joke. Did he ever laugh?

"First rule," he continued, putting up his index finger to emphasize the number one. "You must do as I say. You may not ask questions that begin with 'why.' Questions that begin with 'how' are encouraged."

Natsumi wanted to roll her eyes. She wasn't one to ask questions during class, but that was only because her teachers taught the material in an extremely idiotic and simplified way that there was no arguing about things. Then again, she began to feel more nervous than before. After all, people only asked "why" when something was out of the ordinary… or something was ridiculously dangerous. Followed by Kuroro's encouraged "how" questions, he'd probably be asking her to do things that were not only dangerous, but also humanly impossible.

"Second rule," he said, adding another finger to denote the number two. "You are not allowed to ask me anything about who I am."

Natsumi narrowed her eyes. It was something that was actually easy for her to agree to. The only problem was that by forming that rule, she could immediately tell that they had an indirect connection. But how? They probably had somebody they knew in common.

"Third rule," he went on as he raised yet another finger, having seen that Natsumi was absorbing things quite well. "You are not allowed to tell anyone about me, be it through words, writing, drawing, or any other form of communication."

He sure was a cautious guy. Who was he hiding from?

"And the fourth and final rule, which is also the most important rule," he said, though his voice hadn't changed to fit the intensity of his statement. "From now on, you are to give one hundred percent of yourself to me."

Natsumi stopped breathing, as if Kuroro had cast a spell on her. No, more accurately, she was casting a spell on herself. His words formed the mantra, and she gave the power.

"See nothing but my image, hear nothing but my voice, and feel nothing but the hatred that you have for yourself. Only through doing so will you get through this alive."

Natsumi nodded. She knew very well that nen was deadly. After all, her own nen had tried to kill her when Alphonse had taken the nen-controlling device out of her body. Back then, Alphonse was the most frightening creature she knew. Now, he seemed like a harmless pillow compared to Kuroro. This was good. She wanted to suffer for what she did… for Miyuki.

Her chest tightened soon after the memory of her murder took the spotlight in her thoughts. She gritted her teeth in self-hatred.

If she learned how to control her nen and how to break Hisoka's restriction, then she'd have herself killed as the finale of what used to be her menial life. Only then would she be able to atone for what she had done. If giving one hundred percent of herself to Kuroro was the price to pay for the lives that she had just broken, then it was only fair.

"Can you see the color of your aura right now?" Kuroro asked, looking at her with some sort of faint appreciation.

Natsumi looked at her hands, but she couldn't see anything.

"No, not right now," she said, her voice softer than before. "But I've been told that it's red. Why?"

Kuroro didn't answer, but Natsumi somehow figured out that it was something much more important than just being able to see her own aura. Why did he specifically ask for its color? Did it really matter?

In the midst of her thoughts, Kuroro began walking again. She stood idly for a moment, watching him as the distance between them grew bigger and bigger. She was too hesitant that she hated herself for it. This was the only path that was left for her to take.

"Let's begin," he said, his pure voice serving as a shock to her body. Without a further thought, she took off and followed devotedly behind him.

* * *

_Can you see the light?_

_It isn't at the end of the tunnel_

_It's closer than you think_

_It's right in front of you

* * *

_

**- Ten Months Later -**

Hisoka sat on the steps of the York Shin University Library. Surrounding him were five college girls, all of them giggling and openly flirting with him. One of them tugged on his suit as another tugged on his pink tie.

"Hisoka-kun!" one of them yelled out loud. "How do you make your hair so silky and shiny?"

Hisoka smirked in a I'm-a-very-hot-lifeguard kind of way, causing the girls to melt in their shoes.

"I condition just once a week," he replied, flipping his hair dramatically. "If you do it too much, the natural oils in your hair disappear. And you know, that's not good."

"I didn't know that!" another girl said. "Tell us more! Tell us more!"

Hisoka looked into the eyes of the girl who was asking, causing her to giggle like a middle-schooler.

"What would you like to know?" he asked, all pretty-boy-like.

"Like, what kind of research are you doing?" a girl asked excitedly. "I've noticed that you're always hanging around the library!"

"Stupid!" one of the girls scolded the other. "Hisoka-kun doesn't have anything to do with our university! He just waits for his girlfriend everyday! I've seen her many times, you know."

Another girl pouted in annoyance. "Hmph! I heard that she got ranked 5th in the entrance exams, but so what? She probably just paid a lot of tutors to teach her since she's so rich."

"Speak of the devil," one of the girls said, pointing behind them. "She's here, so let's go."

A moment later, a shadow loomed over Hisoka, and he grinned widely.

"Why hello there, Miyuki-chan," he said, patting the space next to him. "Won't you sit down?"

This had been a habit of theirs. Every time Miyuki had a long break in between her college classes, she'd walk to the library. Hisoka would always be there, either talking to a bunch of girls or building a pyramid with his cards. She sat next to him and took out a small notebook and an apple from her big black handbag. She began reading quietly while nibbling on her apple.

She had lost a significant amount of weight the past few months. Sure, she was slim before, but now she was as skinny as a self-starving model. While a lot of people admired her petite figure, she didn't find it flattering at all. And besides, she lost her sparkle after losing her father. She carried an air of deep sadness and resentment. Hisoka only knew how to identify the people who held such despair, but he didn't know what it really felt like to lose a loved one. Long gone was the bubbly Miyuki that brought smiles to everyone.

"I just heard that you ranked 5th in the entrance exams for this school," Hisoka said, glancing at what she was reading. "Congratulations."

Miyuki turned the page of her notebook.

"People think I'm your girlfriend," she said, scribbling a few notes and then highlighting them. "It's giving me some unnecessary tension with my boyfriend."

Hisoka's grin grew wider.

"Well, it's your fault for always coming to the library knowing that I'm here," he said curtly. "Naughty girl."

Miyuki turned to the next page of her notebook and took another bite of her apple. It was pretty much like this everyday: small talk while studying. Anything about "Natsumi" or "father" was completely taboo. Of course, it wasn't like they agreed to avoid talking about them. They just understood each other. Well, today was a little bit different. There was a long moment of silence between them until she spoke again.

"There's also a separate rumor claiming that there's a handsome guy who's always waiting for his girlfriend on the steps of the library," she said, looking up at the sky. "It's not entirely false, is it?"

Hisoka made a small wave with his hand as a card materialized in between his fingers. He twirled it around and let it bounce from finger to finger.

"Oh, it's partly false and partly true," he said, giggling to himself. "There's definitely a handsome guy waiting on the steps of the library, but he doesn't have a girlfriend. How sad! What could he be waiting for?"

Miyuki slammed her notebook shut, catching Hisoka's undivided attention.

"You've been here since the school year started several months ago. You're here every weekday from when the first class starts in the morning until the last class ends at night. That's 7 AM until 10 PM."

Hisoka raised his eyebrows. "Ooh, aren't you the observant one? Well, I _am_ an interesting subject after all. They should put me in a museum or an art gallery. Such attention would make my body tingle."

"Really, Hisoka-san," Miyuki said, looking at the cover of her notebook with sad eyes. "You could be looking for her during that time. She won't be coming here knowing that I'm here, so just go look for her instead of waiting for her."

Of course, she didn't really have to explain who "her" pertained to. There was an even longer pause as Hisoka grabbed her notebook from her and began scribbling on the cover with a black permanent marker. He drew a chibi version of himself and Miyuki next to each other on the steps of the library. Miyuki said nothing, choosing instead to look up at the sky.

"You are absolutely right," he finally said as he signed his name at the bottom of her notebook like an artist. "I am here every weekday for fifteen hours, from 7 AM to 10 PM. It gets really boring sometimes."

He took the remaining apple core from her hands and tossed it in the compost bin twenty feet away from where they sat. It went in silently.

"But there are nine hours in between 10 PM and 7 AM," he continued. "What do you think I'm doing when I'm not here? I'll give you a hint: I'm not very fond of sleeping."

Miyuki covered her mouth with her hand, preventing herself from gasping out loud.

"So you really _have_ been searching for her?" she asked disbelievingly. "Do you even have time to sleep?"

"Bingo! And I take a lot of short naps," Hisoka winked at her. "In fact, those girls just now rudely woke me up! If they weren't the future leaders of this world, I would've stolen their bottoms and made them run around half-naked."

Miyuki giggled silently, catching Hisoka's attention once more.

"I haven't heard you giggle like that in a while," he said, poking her cheek repeatedly. "That's good, because sad people are ugly, and my princess has no need for ugly friends."

Princess. He said it. Miyuki gave him a soft glare. "You're probably the ugliest of us all."

Hisoka stuck the Joker card on his nose to partially cover his face, as if agreeing to what she said. Miyuki glanced at his arm. The suit covered his skin, but she remembered that she had seen many scars multiple times when he wasn't wearing a suit.

"I've been meaning to ask," she said. "The other day, when you were wearing just a shirt… I saw a scar on your arm. Did you do that to yourself?"

Hisoka set his hand on the small area as if suddenly self-conscious. The Joker card remained candidly on his face. Hisoka chuckled like a plotting madman.

"You truly are the best friend of my princess!" he said, taking his suit and long-sleeved shirt off, revealing a tight black-colored singlet. "You're absolutely right again! I did it to myself, somewhat like a peace offering, except I'm not a goat."

Miyuki ignored his madness and stared at the scars that she could see clearly now. One of them was on his lower forearm, where it seemed like he had bitten himself until he tore a piece of his muscle off. On his left and right arms, right above his biceps, were faint and uneven pink lines… like both of his arms had been forcibly ripped off. The same kind of pink zigzag line was visible on his neck, although it only went halfway around, like a semi-circle.

"Why?" Miyuki asked. She wanted to ask more, but that was all she could come up with.

Hisoka shrugged, as if it really wasn't a big deal.

"I promised mommy that if I couldn't bring my princess back in 24 hours, then she could have my arms and my head," he said, watching a few ants march next to his foot. "Of course, it's been ten months now and I still don't know where my princess is. I overestimated myself, like a shopaholic buried in debt! And yet I still must have more shoes!"

Miyuki blinked at him. He was still snickering to himself, so she wondered if he finally did go crazy.

"Mommy?" she repeated. "You promised her mom?"

Hisoka nodded more times than was necessary to answer the question.

"But you see," he said, sounding like a kid telling a short story. "It's more difficult than it seems to kill yourself with your bare hands. For future reference, if you decide to kill yourself one day, don't tell other people, because they'll 'come to your rescue.' I asked Franklin to tear apart my arms and my head, but he said I was crazy. So I tried to do it myself, but then they stopped me midway. The nerve!"

Miyuki looked at the ground, her heart beating faster and faster as she was fed information that she had purposely tried to block out for so long. After ten months, she couldn't possibly deny the fact that she wasn't the only person out there who was suffering. Turning the situation around, if she had accidentally killed Natsumi's mother, she'd want to kill herself too. So what was Natsumi feeling? Was she still even alive? She felt as though she failed as a friend… as a_ best_ friend.

"I'll help search," Miyuki said as she stood up, flinching at her own words. "The last time I said those words was when I was… looking for my father."

Hisoka pulled her back down, forcing her to sit once more. She was about to ask what his deal was, but Hisoka pointed towards a familiar blond man who was fast approaching.

"Ahh, Kurapika-san," Miyuki whispered to herself.

Alongside him was a short bald woman who had a deformed face and two large buckteeth protruding from her mouth.

"It seems that you've chosen a good time to snap out of it," Hisoka told her as he leaned forward and set his arms on his knees in itching anticipation. "Whatever they've come for should be worth your while."

* * *

_It's strange, isn't it?_

_How I dream about you_

_Day in and day out_

_Without truly knowing_

_If you really do exist

* * *

_

"Well, isn't this a wonderful day for a picnic?" Hisoka said with a big smile. "I would've brought sandwiches, but I didn't know if anyone had any food allergies. Do you have any food allergies, Senritsu?"

Kurapika ignored what he said and tossed a small voice recorder onto Hisoka's lap before Senritsu could answer. She glanced at her friend worriedly.

"Please calm down, Kurapika," she said softly. "Your heart is scaring me"

Kurapika clenched his fists and took a sharp but deep breath, trying to take her advice. He then looked at Hisoka.

"That's a recording of Natsumi and Kuroro talking to each other," Kurapika began. "The York Shin Government wiretapped all of the public payphones in the city. We don't listen to all of the conversations, but we have a computer program that can identify spoken key words. In particular, we look for criminals' names, including Kuroro's. Press the play button and listen for yourself."

Hisoka pressed the small green arrow button on the recorder, playing back the selected audio file. At first, only static could be heard. After a few seconds, they could hear a phone ringing. After the third ring, somebody picked up, and then came the dialogue.

"Kuroro?" Natsumi spoke first, her voice quite colorless. Senritsu suddenly turned to Hisoka upon hearing a sudden change in his heart. His face was blank and he wore a grim smile, but his heart had spoken differently.

"What is it?" Kuroro's calm voice came up.

"Is there anything you'd like to drink?"

"Anything warm and sweet is fine," Kuroro replied.

"Alright."

The audio ended.

"That's all there is, but we traced it," Kurapika said. "Natsumi was calling from a payphone in the Central Station. She dialed the number of the Carnelian Hotel located downtown, followed by the extension number 143, which is also the room number where Kuroro received the call. They used an alias to stay in the hotel, which explains why none of the computers alerted me."

Kurapika then took out a folded paper and showed it to Hisoka. Printed on it were pictures of the members of the Genei Ryodan. At the bottom of the paper was a small blurry picture of a girl wearing a long white trench coat. The picture was too blurry for her face to be seen clearly.

"The Hunter Association's website also recently updated its file on the Genei Ryodan. As of two days ago, the group now has an additional member. A few witnesses claimed that her codename is 'Lilith.' I would've ignored it, but another report said that she has one red eye."

There was silence for a moment until Miyuki spoke up.

"Lilith?" she repeated. "I just learned that from my philosophy class this morning. Isn't that the name of Lucifer's mate?"

All of a sudden, Senritsu took a step back and covered her ears, like she had heard a sharp and painful sound.

"Frightening!" she shouted, looking directly at Hisoka with wide eyes and then closing them in fear. "What a frightening tune!"

She fell to her knees, scared to death of whatever she could hear.

"What's wrong?" Miyuki shouted as she went by her side. "What can you hear?"

"Hisoka's anger," Kurapika replied. "Senritsu has the ability to listen to people's hearts. She can tell when people are lying or telling the truth, when they are sad or happy, among other things."

Hisoka chuckled darkly, shaking his head in mockery as he set his hand lightly on his chest. After a few seconds, Senritsu opened her eyes once more. Cautiously, she took her hands from her ears and looked at Hisoka. Miyuki helped her up.

"It suddenly went very faint," she said softly, as if she was suspicious of deceit. "You truly are a master liar, capable of changing even what your heart believes."

"One of my many talents," Hisoka said as he bowed down like a performer. "Now, returning to the reason you are here, when was this call made?"

"Just twenty minutes ago," Kurapika replied, looking at his watch. "I wanted to raid the place with the swat team, but Kuroro could easily kill them even without using his nen. So if you want to come along, Hisoka, now's the time to go."

It went quiet again. Hisoka squirmed in his seat, like a child with extreme ADHD. Kurapika glanced at him, giving him an inquisitive look.

"There's just one thing I'd like to know before we go," Hisoka said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Are they sharing a bedroom?"

Kurapika clenched his fist once more, trying his best to keep his composure.

"One bedroom, two beds," Kurapika replied in annoyance, though he seemingly sighed in relief as well. "As for you, Miyuki, I'm not too sure if you-"

"I want to go," Miyuki cut him off. "Natsumi-chan thinks that I hate her. I have to tell her that I don't."

Kurapika nodded in understanding. Just then, a speeding black four-door car with heavily tinted windows appeared from the corner and screeched to a halt in front of the library. The window of the passenger's side suddenly broke into pieces as Gon's face popped out. Killua was in the driver's seat next to him.

"Come on!" Gon shouted excitedly, jumping on the roof to create space for everyone. "Killua's driving so we can get there in three minutes!"

Miyuki gulped loudly. "Isn't that hotel a twenty-minute drive from here? Is that even possible?"

Killua gave her a thumbs up, though she still didn't feel reassured. She crammed herself into the tiny car along with the others.

"Woooo! I've always wanted to try this!" Gon shouted, sitting on the roof without even holding onto anything. "Go faster than before, Killua! This is gonna be major fun!"

"Roger!" Killua replied with a grin. "And we're off!"

* * *

_Some people dream about flying_

_Just like the birds and the butterflies_

_How insolent they are_

_When they clearly deserve_

_To crawl on the earth_

_With the snakes and the worms

* * *

_

Natsumi stood idly on the balcony, looking intently at a distance. She was wearing a button-less white trench coat, tied tightly around her waist with a sash of the same color knotted at the front. Peeking underneath it was a plain pink spaghetti strap dress, paired with knee-high flat black leather boots, which made her legs seem longer than they really were. The wind suddenly blew strongly, making her trench coat flail along with it.

As if sensing something along with the wind, she narrowed her eyes and went back into the hotel room.

"Kuroro," she spoke with absolute deference. "Something is coming towards us at a very high speed."

The man she spoke to was seated on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed, hands rested on his lap. He opened his eyes to look at her as he stood up.

"Do you know what it is?" he asked, heading passively towards the door.

Natsumi looked towards the balcony again. Although she felt unsure, her face held no such emotion. She was as apathetic as the man she was talking to. She closed her eyes and raised her hand with her palm facing the balcony. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and set her hand down.

"A car with five or six people," she finally replied as she followed behind Kuroro. "Shall I scare them away?"

* * *

End of Chapter!

How was that? Were you able to imagine what Natsumi was wearing? I hope so, because in my head, it looked very cool. I hope you guys like this chapter! I had dreams about it, so I was really glad when I put it in writing.

Thank you for reading and please review! Feedback is always very awesome and appreciated!


	29. Face Value

Hello, everyone! Wow, a month again before I updated, huh? Well, I hope the wait will be well worth it after you read this chapter! I liked writing this one, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter, even though I wish I did. I own Natsumi and stuff about her, so I guess that's good enough.

And here we go!

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 28: Face Value

* * *

**

Everything was a blur. They couldn't really understand what happened. All they knew was that one second, Killua was driving up the hotel lobby, and the next, the entire vehicle was propelled in the air and blown backwards, causing it to crash against the neighboring building.

Everyone was able to jump out safely, although everything happened so quickly that Miyuki landed badly, fracturing her leg. Gon carried the petite girl on his back as he glanced at what used to be their car. It had been reduced to the thickness of a soda can, like a large steam roller had run it over multiple times. Even the wheels had all burst because of the sudden pressure. What happened?

Senritsu raised her head and closed her eyes, as if listening to something familiar. Just then, Kurapika's chains suddenly clanked together ominously, and everyone felt it: the frighteningly powerful aura emanating from behind them. It wasn't entirely new, but it was difficult to recognize at the same time. And somehow, they knew who it was. They just didn't want to believe it.

* * *

_There are so many of them_

_These chains that hold me down_

_How do I escape from here_

_Knowing that you were the one_

_Who took my wrists and bound them?

* * *

_

Kuroro stood ten feet away from where they were. He had his hands in his pockets and his head lowered as if in deep thought. His presence was undoubtedly strongly felt, but they paid more attention to the person who stood right behind him. Natsumi, who had her arms at her sides and her feet close together, closely resembled a doll. She was neither surprised nor angry to see them. All she showed was her blank expression and a faint hint of recognition.

"Princess," Hisoka called out, taking a step forward. "Please come back with me. I'm going to die faster knowing that you are with that horrible man."

Kuroro raised his brows ever so slightly.

"Unfortunately, you're going to have a little trouble communicating with Lilith," he said, referring to Natsumi, who remained silent. "She isn't fond of talking to anyone other than myself."

Hisoka gritted his teeth in annoyance. Natsumi suddenly narrowed her eyes in suspicion. In a split second, Hisoka disappeared from his spot and at the same time, Natsumi pushed Kuroro backwards and turned around, stretching her arm out in front of her as if pushing an invisible wall. Just as Hisoka materialized in front of her, a large force inflicted pressure on the entire area, blowing like a hot gust of wind and propelling its victim towards the building across the street. The windows shattered simultaneously, burying Hisoka in shards of glass and other debris.

"Hisoka!" Gon shouted as he gently set Miyuki down to aid his comrade.

Miyuki continued to watch on, but she didn't know what to do or say. She wanted to call out to Natsumi, to tell her that she didn't have to punish herself, but how could she? She was scary.

Kurapika assessed the damage: half of the first two floors of the building were reduced to broken pieces, and Hisoka was nowhere in sight. What just happened? It was the exact same thing that had attacked their vehicle. Was it Natsumi after all?

"She used steam…" Killua spoke as he looked at his hand, which appeared red as if burnt. "I've seen something like this before. Some nen users can use water destructively. Hisoka must have gotten scorched at least a little bit."

"Scorching water?" Miyuki repeated. "Is that possible with nen?"

Killua nodded, rubbing his hand to ease the stinging sensation.

"Nen can be molded into anything, especially if the user is very familiar with it, and it gets stronger if sacrificing is involved," he replied. "In this case, Natsumi is either mimicking the properties of water with her nen or she's controlling water itself. Either way, she can change it into steam which can-"

"Burn human skin," Miyuki cut him off.

"Right," Killua said, eyeing Natsumi's blank face. "It's troubling… No one can reach this level of nen mastery in just ten months without doing something extremely painful or dangerous."

Natsumi set her hands in her pockets as she watched Gon carefully take away broken pieces of glass and cement from the pile of debris. Hisoka's hand popped out from the mess and Gon pulled him out.

"Hisoka?" Gon called out, shaking him vigorously. "Are you okay? Your eyes are open. Can you hear me?"

Hisoka sat up slowly, a small pout surfacing on his lips. He seemed unscathed, save for half of his arm, which was slightly red, just like Killua's hand. Natsumi had returned to her previous spot just behind Kuroro, as if nothing happened. Hisoka frowned.

"So is that why you call her 'Lilith?'" he asked Kuroro, crossing his arms in defiance. "She stands behind you like a dutiful wife even though you don't belong together. Maybe you should file for divorce."

Kuroro turned to Natsumi, who then gazed at him with her wholehearted attention.

"He treats your name with sarcasm, so why don't you show him?" he asked, setting his hand on her head. "Show him exactly why they call you the devil's wife."

Not a second sooner, Natsumi spread her arms to the sides with her palms facing sideways and outwards, appearing like a human cross. She narrowed her eyes…and then a burst of energy came flowing from every pore of her body.

"Her aura is black…" Gon whispered to Killua silently. "Wasn't it red before?"

"Yeah," Killua replied. "Intense emotions must have changed it."

Stronger winds blew from every direction, like a heavily disoriented storm. Her smoky aura grew steadily, rising higher and wider until the farthest point was at least thirty meters away from her body. Everyone was engulfed by her aura like a shadow was cast over them, and the pressure from her energy was so intoxicating that they could hardly breathe. There was a wave of intense heat, and all of a sudden, a bright light surrounded them like a circular cage. Immediately after the beams, big waves of water pumped upwards from the ground, surrounding them like fountains spewing water twenty feet into the sky. The sound of the waves canceled everything else out, and all they could hear was the sound of waves crashing together. A few seconds later, as the fountains spewed out more water, it began to snow inside the small territory.

Killua outstretched his hand and let a snowflake drop onto his palm. It was cold. He glanced at Natsumi as it melted away.

"Ice, steam, and water," he murmured to himself. "Nen so advanced like this wasn't acquired without pain."

And then it all disappeared, leaving only small puddles on the ground and the weak smell of the ocean.

* * *

_It is impossible to say goodbye_

_Wherever you will be, I will also be_

_Only then will our lives be full of_

_Good mornings and I love you's

* * *

_

No one could utter a sound. Was that really Natsumi? Did she really conjure water out of thin air without showing much effort? What else could she do?

Senritsu fell to her knees once more, clamping her hands over her ears to block out the sound. Hisoka stood a few feet away from her, a heavy scowl on his face. His hands and torso were shaking, as if he was preventing himself from doing something. In spite of that, Natsumi wasn't even looking at him. All she gazed at was the back of Kuroro's coat.

"Hisoka… Please… Please control yourself," Senritsu breathed out forcefully. "This is worse than before. I can't…"

Soon after, she let go of her ears and fell sideways, losing consciousness. Kurapika caught her before she hit the ground and set her on the floor, glancing at Hisoka with worried eyes. What was he going to do?

"Princess," Hisoka suddenly spoke, grabbing her attention. "What did you have to do in order to gain this much power in ten months?"

Kuroro set his hand on Natsumi's head once more, and she closed her eyes as if to savor the acknowledgement.

"I'm sure you already know how," Kuroro asked. "The only question is whether or not her desperation to get stronger really did propel her to go that far."

Hisoka took a threatening step forward, as if refusing to admit that he did know how she became the way she was, but just as he did, Natsumi aimed her palm towards him. He stopped midway, looking into her frigid eyes to search for anything left of his princess. But there was nothing. He scowled.

"You've already burnt my body once," he said, clawing at the peeling skin on his arm. "But if you want to do so again, I'm fine with it. Do it as many times as you want."

Natsumi paused as Hisoka took a few more steps forward. She gently tugged Kuroro's coat, pulling him behind her once more. She then sent a blast of superheated steam, which appeared like a white solid translucent ball, towards him. It hit him right at the center of his chest. His blue jester shirt clung to his skin because of the water, and he dropped to one knee. He winced and grunted loudly as he carelessly tore his shirt off. The skin on his chest was extremely red, and parts of it had begun to peel off. The great temperature would've killed normal people, but Hisoka managed to receive only small burns, and Natsumi was obviously not used to such endurance. He promptly stood up and continued walking towards her.

She took a step back, beads of sweat accumulating on her temple. She sent a bigger, even hotter ball of steam towards him, but he crossed his arms across his head and took it dead on. His arms turned a darker shade of red as soon as it hit him as blisters formed. Even more layers of skin peeled off.

"Is that all you've got, princess?" he asked, grinning. "I've endured hotter temperatures than this, like whenever I stand next to you."

Natsumi ignored his flirtatious statement. She bent down and touched the ground. Almost instantly, sharp icicles pierced through the ground from where she touched it. More and more poked through, forming a line towards him, like an unfurling carpet of ice. Hisoka jumped in the air to avoid the frozen weapons, but Natsumi raised her other hand and three big icicles shot out from her palm, flying towards him. He kicked them away and landed gracefully on a car.

"Stop showing off, princess," he said, clenching his fists tightly. "I don't want you to think that acquiring this kind of power makes your sacrifice worth it."

Natsumi broke the tip of the icicle in front of her and threw it at him, although it pierced through the gas tank of the car instead.

"I see your eyesight is still bad," Hisoka said, smiling. "I'm glad there are some things about you that are the same."

Natsumi snapped her finger, and the icicle suddenly sublimated into extremely searing steam, heating the gas in the car along with it and causing the entire vehicle to explode. Hisoka jumped away in time, although a small piece of metal managed to lodge itself in his back.

He fell to one knee once more. He could feel the blood trickle down from the wound in his back. He lowered his head in annoyance. Natsumi's black boots suddenly came into view and he snapped his head upwards to look at her, but the pale skin on her palm greeted his gaze, merely a foot away. She was right in front of him, ready to fire another blast. Was it going to be superheated steam again, to burn his face and brain? Was it going to be an icicle, to pierce through his skull? Or was there something else she could do with water that she hadn't shown yet?

"Please tell me, princess," he said, standing up, although Natsumi's palm still followed his face. "Tell me what you had to do in order to get this strong. Tell me, because the theory I've come up with isn't going to let me sleep easily tonight."

Natsumi didn't reply. She stood in front of him, silently watching his movements with great suspicion in her eyes. Hisoka clenched his fist. Kuroro was right; she really wasn't going to talk. Didn't she always have a snide comment aimed just for him? Didn't she always have something to complain about when it came to him? Or couldn't she just hit him with a random object and yell out his name just like she usually did?

"Miyuki-chan wanted to see you, and even though the danger was apparent, she didn't run away," Hisoka spoke with a dead tone. "But you haven't even looked at her. What if she cries and comes to me for comfort? I will never cheat on you, but a cute girl coming to me for help would be difficult to resist."

Natsumi didn't even flinch. Didn't she have any feelings for anyone at all anymore? What happened to her love for Miyuki and Kurapika? What happened to her bipolar like and dislike for Hisoka? Why was she a robotic doll, ready to do anything to protect Kuroro?

Just then, everyone heard Miyuki's sudden crying voice. Natsumi slightly turned her head to the side, looking at the girl for the very first time since everything began.

"What happened, Natsumi-chan?" Miyuki said as she appeared from behind the pillar, drops of tears forming and falling to the ground. "Everyone seems to understand what you did to get so strong… Why don't you tell me how you turned into _this_? If that man encouraged you to do something horrible, then I'd want him dead too!"

Natsumi stood still for a moment, earnestly thinking about what the crying girl had just said. But she turned her attention back to Hisoka, whose eyes were still intently gazing at her.

"Do you really want to know, Miyuki-chan?" Hisoka asked, still looking at his princess. "It isn't going to be a very pleasing story."

Miyuki nodded, wiping the tears from her face as she attempted to stay upright without putting pressure on her fractured leg. Kurapika took her arm and wrapped it around his neck, keeping her balanced. He then glanced at Hisoka.

"I want to know, too."

* * *

_If there are dreams that can never come true_

_Wouldn't you rather have nightmares instead?_

_That way, you aren't left with a crushed heart_

_After giving up everything but your hope

* * *

_

"Do you know what my princess's greatest fear is?" Hisoka asked, gazing into her empty black eyes.

"Water," Miyuki replied softly. "Big bodies of water like lakes or the ocean."

"Correct," Hisoka said, frowning. "Do you know why?"

"Because she's afraid of drowning," Kurapika answered, his eyes slowly widening in realization.

"That's right," Hisoka replied, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "Isn't it unusual that my princess's ability is exactly what her fear is based on? Why would she want to use something she's afraid of? People who are terrified of certain things tend to obsess about them, and they fear them to the point of irrationality."

Natsumi didn't say anything. A small ball of steam formed in the middle of her palm, slowly growing bigger.

"A certain fear makes nen stronger, especially when creating abilities," Hisoka continued. "My princess must have imagined the ways water could be dangerous. Drowning is one, dying of hypothermia is a second, being burned alive with steam is a third, and getting eaten by a shark is a fourth. With much imagination, all these could be done with nen. But for a nen user to use them as weapons, they have to sacrifice… and confront their fears."

Miyuki gasped and shook her head, refusing to believe her thoughts. There was no way that Natsumi did what Hisoka was suggesting. It was just too much.

"It's pretty common in our world," Killua added. "In my case, I was tortured by electrocution ever since I was born. I didn't grow to fear it or anything, but since my body experienced so much of it, getting my nen to use it as an ability was easy."

Miyuki looked at Natsumi, who still had nothing to say. The ball of steam was already as big as her palm, and it was getting even bigger. She was ready to launch it at Hisoka's face as soon as she deemed it large enough to scorch his entire face.

"Compared to confronting other fears like arachnophobia, my princess's fear isn't very straightforward, which makes it an even stronger ability," Hisoka continued, enjoying the attention that the otherwise unwelcoming girl was giving him. "So I'm sure that you've guessed what she had to do."

Miyuki shook her head again.

"Natsumi-chan," she called out, the tears starting to flow again. "You tried to drown yourself, didn't you?"

Miyuki's words somehow triggered something in Natsumi. She pre-maturely blasted the ball of steam, and it almost hit Hisoka's face if he hadn't moved away in time. She took a few steps back and stared into Hisoka's eyes, as if seeing his face for the very first time.

"No, you didn't just try, right, princess?" Hisoka asked, although he knew that she wasn't going to say anything anyway. "You drowned yourself more times than I want to think about. This is also the reason why you and Kuroro have the same heartbeat, right?"

Miyuki glanced at Kurapika.

"What does he mean by that?"

Kurapika frowned.

"Some nen users can store their nen into other people's bodies," he explained. "It's somewhat similar to how I put restrictions on people's hearts, except Natsumi used the concept differently."

Kurapika cursed under his breath, although Miyuki couldn't make out what he had said.

"In other words," Killua added again. "Both of their hearts are linked with Natsumi's nen, so whenever Natsumi died because of drowning, the little nen she stored in Kuroro's heart would run back into her own heart and revive it. That way, she could experience the cruelties of water over and over again, which is why she can mimic it so well and use it as a weapon."

Hisoka looked at the ground. There was a plethora of different emotions in his face, so much so that he himself wasn't sure what they were. Hearing another person speak of such an ordeal out loud made it sound even worse than what he had originally believed. The image of his princess in the middle of the ocean drowning over and over again for ten months would definitely deprive him of sleep for a good month.

"My brother drowned me as punishment once when I was a kid," Killua said, sighing. "Now that I think about it, it was pretty scary."

Natsumi turned around to return to Kuroro's side, but Hisoka grabbed both of her wrists and held on to them tightly with only one hand. Touching her that way reminded him of how small she really was.

"You're still physically weak and slow," Hisoka said, grinning all of a sudden. "You only use your palm for aiming, right? You only pretend that your ability requires the use of your hands so that when your opponent binds you like this, you can catch them off-guard and attack them. But really, all you use is your mind."

Natsumi kept silent. Balls of steam and thin shards of ice materialized beside and behind him, ready to strike, just as he had predicted. He grinned widely as they moved closer and closer, taunting him with what was going to happen if he didn't let go. But he didn't. Even worse, he leaned in and planted a deep kiss on her lips.

The sudden gesture proved too much, causing her to suddenly lose control of her materialized weapons. They all simultaneously crashed into Hisoka's body, the bubbles of steam exploding into his skin and the ice piercing his body.

The smell of burning flesh accompanied the sound of a stabbing motion. Hisoka fell face first to the ground as blood gushed out from his mouth and seven other places on his back, legs, and arms.

"Hisoka-san!" Miyuki shouted as she limped her way towards him. "How could you, Natsumi-chan?"

Hisoka coughed out blood. Miyuki realized that it wasn't only because of the stab wounds and the burns, but also because he had been in the critical proximity of Kurapika's restriction.

Natsumi stood frozen, unable to do or say anything. Her eyes were wide open, like she had witnessed the impossible. She took a few steps back, but Hisoka grabbed her ankle before she could go anywhere. She looked at him with panic in her eyes as she tried to pull free, but his superior physical strength held her in place.

"Don't go back to that unfashionable guy," Hisoka said, his eyes pleading. "I'm more handsome than he is. If you walk down the street with me, all the girls will be jealous of you."

Five tiny balls of steam appeared next to all of Hisoka's fingers and singed each of them at the same time, forcing him to let go. As soon as she broke free, Natsumi turned and ran towards Kuroro, burying her face in his chest like a scared child. Kuroro stood plainly with his hands still in his pockets. Hisoka's eyes widened as he watched her find refuge in another man's warmth.

"Kuroro…" Natsumi spoke for the first time since everything happened. "Kuroro… I almost killed someone again…"

Her eyes remained wide, like she could see things in her mind that she couldn't describe. She closed her eyes tightly as tears fell and soaked Kuroro's coat. She gritted her teeth and shook her head violently.

"Kuroro…" she said again. "Kuroro, I… I tried to kill Hisoka. Kuroro… I can't control it... Please stop me!"

Hisoka shakily stood up. His entire body was now bloody and blistered that it was almost unrecognizable. He walked towards her, dragging his leg behind him. He raised his arm and reached out for her.

"Princess, I'm fine," he said, trying to give his trademark grin. "I look like a lobster, but I'm fine. See?"

Natsumi turned around. The shocking image of Hisoka's battered body jolted her once more, and a sharp icicle the size of a pillow appeared in front of her, pointing towards him.

"Princess?" he called out. The icicle moved swiftly towards his torso, but he refused to move. Just before it hit him, it stopped.

"Why didn't you try to avoid it?" she asked, anger in her voice. "That could've killed you!"

Hisoka's heart skipped multiple beats as he stood there, gazing at her. He felt a surge of adrenaline pollute his system and suddenly, all the pain he could feel just disappeared. He chuckled silently and grinned at her.

"If you wanted to kill me, princess, I would've gladly let you do so."

* * *

End of Chapter!

How was it? I hope you liked it! This took me a really long time to write, but I think I'm happy with the result! Until next time!

Thank you for reading and please review! I "feed" off of feedback.


	30. Let It Rain

Hello, everyone! Wow, I've been away for some quite time, huh? Sorry about that! Very busy summer, in a college student's perspective. Sigh. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Well, I'll tell you guys right now… this is the SECOND TO THE LAST chapter. Which means that the next chapter…will be the last. Woohoo! I'll save my farewells for then.

I'll shut up now. Here we go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter. I own Natsumi and a few things about her.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 29: Let It Rain**

**

* * *

**

_Previously:_

_"Princess, I'm fine," Hisoka said, trying to give his trademark grin. "I look like a lobster, but I'm fine. See?"_

_Natsumi turned around. The shocking image of Hisoka's battered body jolted her once more, and a sharp icicle the size of a pillow appeared in front of her, pointing towards him._

_"Princess?" he called out. The icicle moved swiftly towards his torso, but he refused to move. Just before it hit him, it stopped._

_"Why didn't you try to avoid it?" she asked, anger in her voice. "That could've killed you!"_

_Hisoka's heart skipped multiple beats as he stood there, gazing at her. He felt a surge of adrenaline pollute his system and suddenly, all the pain he could feel just disappeared. He chuckled silently and grinned at her._

_"If you want to kill me, princess, the please do so."_

_

* * *

_

Natsumi took a wary step back, fear evident in her eyes. She looked at her hands and, as if having seen something horrifying, buckled down to the floor.

"Kill… Hisoka?" she asked herself, ignoring the presence of others. "I could kill Hisoka if I wanted?"

Several manhole covers around the area suddenly burst open as steam poured out like a geyser. Several windows of nearby buildings broke one after the other and a few car alarms went off. She grabbed Kuroro's coat and pulled him downward, although she still wasn't physically strong enough to even move him if he didn't want to. Hisoka crossed his arms in disapproval. He gazed at Kuroro and gave him a murderous grin.

"I see," he said, almost chuckling to some extent. "You ordered her to stop talking because her enemies might find out just how unstable her mental state is. She's clearly delusional."

Kuroro didn't say anything and, while he was truly a man of few words, his silence was a bellowing "yes."

Hisoka sighed and chuckled softly. Then, he shook his head and burst out laughing like he had heard the funniest joke he had ever heard. He pointed at Kuroro and laughed even louder, stomping his feet repeatedly like he couldn't bear it any longer. After a few moments, he calmed himself down, sighing once more as he wiped away a tear in his eye. He grinned maniacally.

"I really want to kill you right now," he said to him, like he was telling a joke. "I want to kill you slowly, tear each of your limbs from your body and feed them to hyenas. I want to crush your head with my fist, and throw your rotting corpse in the sea to be eaten by sea monsters. Oh, how I want to do that right now."

Kuroro didn't look intimidated in the least, but Natsumi took every word with deep gravity. She stood up and aimed her palm towards her perceived enemy, but Kuroro raised his hand as a signal for her to stop. Almost immediately, she lowered her arm and turned towards him. Both her manner of speaking and demeanor suddenly turned childlike.

"What is it, Kuroro?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. "You don't want me to stop him? He's scary, isn't he? Aren't you scared?"

Her soft voice was unusually high-pitched, like she was a young kid in middle school. The way she looked at her leader with wide innocent eyes only confirmed that it was another change in her outward personality. Hisoka was right: she was unstable.

"You aren't strong enough to fight his kind," Kuroro explained, setting his hand on her head. "You'll only lose."

Natsumi lowered her head and nodded silently, believing his words like he was God himself.

"Then, are we done here?" she asked him quietly. "Do you think I should go into the water tonight?"

Hisoka gritted his teeth, graphic images of a slowly dying girl in his mind.

"Are you going to drown yourself again?" he asked, clenching his fists. "Do you not understand that your nen could suddenly run out, leaving no room for your revival?"

Natsumi wasn't even paying attention. Instead, she was preoccupied with scrutinizing a small scratch on Kuroro's boot, wondering how it got there or if she had caused it. A few seconds passed, and she neither moved nor spoke, like she had frozen in time. And then she turned around to leave, her footsteps silent and light, like she was weightless. Kuroro tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat as he closed his eyes.

All of a sudden, the loud sound of a roaring engine and honking filled the air. Natsumi immediately jumped in front of Kuroro, facing the source of the racket, and stuck her palm in the air to aim. A large pick-up truck was speeding its way towards their direction. A bunch of men rode behind as cargo.

"Seventeen… No… eighteen?" Natsumi tried to count the number of auras, although she couldn't do so accurately.

"Eight men and ten women," Hisoka replied precisely, crossing his arms. "Now, what would they want?"

Natsumi narrowed her eyes and tried to home in on the driver with her palm, but he was driving so erratically that she couldn't properly launch an attack. One of the men took a rifle and aimed at her. A split second later, he pressed the trigger.

"Princess!" Hisoka shouted, reaching for her.

The bullet pierced through her left shoulder and she fell on one knee, wincing as her movements aggravated the injury.

"Are you all right, Kuroro?" she asked, looking up at him, her left eye shining a lively shade of red. "He was too far away, so I couldn't really see him."

Hisoka punched the ground, creating a loud destructive noise as the pavement cracked under the pressure. He looked absolutely murderous with his eyes wide and teeth bared for everyone to see.

"You just got shot and all you can think about is whether that man is all right?"

He retracted his hand from the rubble he had created. His already-burnt hand began bleeding even more profusely, but he ignored it.

"I will deal with you later, princess," he said, gritting his bleeding teeth. "I will take care of the man who just harmed you."

Turning around to face the group of men, he released a surge of energy, warning them of what was about to take place. The man in the passenger's seat hopped down. He was obviously their leader, what with the arrogant face and the seemingly haute air he carried. He had a spiked baseball bat in one hand and a remote control in the other.

"We've come for Lilith, the infamous curse breaker," he spoke with a low voice. "Hand her over, and we'll give you ten fine women to do with as you please."

Kurapika frowned as he turned to Natsumi, who was simply holding the gaping wound in her shoulder as she once again stared at the scratch on Kuroro's boot.

"So she can remove casted nen already," Killua said as he noticed Kurapika's reaction. "Are you sure Kuroro's still under your judgement chain?"

Kurapika's chains clanked in anticipation as he watched everything unfold before him.

"I haven't sensed any breakage," he said, clenching his fist. "But who knows, maybe her techniques are so advanced that I can't even tell the difference."

Hisoka took a rock from the ground and threw it towards the big pick-up truck. It broke through the windshield and hit the driver straight on the forehead, rendering him unconscious. The arrogant leader took a step back as six of the other men from the truck joined him, each wielding his own weapon. The women cowered behind the vehicle, afraid of what would happen.

"Hurt one of my men again, and I press this button," their leader said, raising the remote control. "Want a demonstration?"

He pressed a button on the remote and a sudden surge of sharp pain shot through Natsumi's shoulder, where the bullet was still embedded. It felt as though she had been shot a second time, a third time, and then a fourth. Natsumi's eyes widened as she fell flat on the floor, coughing out blood as the left side of her body twitched involuntarily.

The man raised his brows in interest.

"Oh? I'm surprised you didn't scream," he said, playing with the remote. "But it hurts, doesn't it? The bullet you were shot with is made with nen, and it burns your insides like acid whenever I activate the trigger."

Killua crossed his arms and Gon sat next to him on the ground. Miyuki noticed their casual mannerisms, anger brewing in her eyes.

"Why aren't you doing anything to help? She's in danger!" she shouted, ready to face the dangerous-looking men herself despite her leg injury.

Killua spared her a glance, but Gon patted her foot to attract her attention.

"If you want Hisoka to kill you, then go ahead," Gon replied. "Even Kurapika knows what Hisoka is capable of if he's on a rampage, which is why he isn't doing anything either, no matter how much he wants to be over there right now."

Miyuki was about to protest, but a screaming man caught her attention. The leader's arm was missing, and a small drop of his blood was somehow on Hisoka's face, even though it seemed like he hadn't moved from his spot at all.

"Wh-what have you done to me?" the poor leader yelled as he felt the pain emanating from the raw wound where his arm used to be. "I'll kill you!"

He ran towards Hisoka with his spiked bat high in the air, followed by the rest of his companions. Just then, Natsumi raised her uninjured arm to the sky and a big ball of water began to form above them. She rapidly sent her arm down and the water dropped over the men's heads, thoroughly soaking each and every one of them. She twisted her wrist so that her palm faced upwards.

"Boiling Rain," she said softly.

She closed her fist tightly, as if crumpling a piece of paper, and the water that had soaked the men suddenly turned into steam, scalding them just enough to render them unconscious. Many of them screamed in pain, while some just passed out from trauma. The women behind the truck all ran away, grabbing their chance at freedom.

"Thank you!" one woman turned for a brief moment, shedding a single tear as she looked at Natsumi. "I will be eternally grateful!"

Natsumi didn't even acknowledge the woman's show of gratitude, and instead faced Kuroro to wait for an order.

Hisoka's face still held the bloodthirsty expression, having the opportunity to injure them himself taken away from him. He stepped on the leader's head, though he was still unconscious, and attempted to crush it.

"I'll kill you for hurting my princess," Hisoka said, his voice sounding monstrous. "Anyone who dares hurt my princess will be given a death sentence."

Before he completely broke the leader's skull, he grabbed the man who had shot the rifle and threw him against their vehicle. A sickening sound of breaking bones echoed through the air. He took both men's heads with each of his hands and was about to crush them down to the ground, but Kuroro cleared his throat, capturing his attention.

Hisoka glanced at him, his eyes bloodshot with a terrorizing glow.

"You should think twice about that," Kuroro said simply.

Natsumi stood still, like a child watching her parents fight. Her arms hung loosely on her sides and her eyes, one of them remaining red, watched him intently.

"Are you going to kill them?" she asked, forgetting that she had almost done the same thing with the men she had attacked. "Is it because of me?"

She then closed her eyes sleepily.

"Kuroro, I'm tired…"

And with those words, she fell against her own leader and drifted to unconsciousness.

* * *

_In the midst of a raging storm_

_The only safe place I know_

_Is with you, in your arms,_

_Wherever you may be_

_

* * *

_

Without a second thought, Hisoka dropped the men he had been assaulting and stormed towards Kuroro. He took Natsumi in his arms, cradling her like the fragile thing she still was. The vicious expression on his face had disappeared and was replaced by a blank stare as he glanced at his previous enemy.

"I am taking her with me," he said, turning around. "If you try to take her back, I'll kill you, whether or not you have your nen back."

He walked away, gazing at Natsumi's sleeping face as he smiled dreamily.

"You may take her with you," Kuroro replied with a tone of disinterest. "Tomorrow, the nen she planted in my chest will rush through my heart and deactivate the judgement chain."

Kurapika frowned.

"She agreed to do it after all," he said, the feeling of betrayal stabbing him in the gut. "But why tomorrow? Why not now?"

Kuroro turned around to leave, and everyone stayed put, allowing him to do so.

"She somehow knew that I would steal her ability once I could use nen again," he said, lowering his head in deep thought. "In order to prevent that from happening, she created her nen removal ability such that she could set a date that the actual removal was to occur, so that she could get as far away in the meantime to protect herself, somewhat like a ticking time bomb."

Kurapika crossed his arms.

"Why would she protect herself from you if she treats you like a god?"

Kuroro chuckled darkly.

"Because Hisoka would've wanted her to," he replied, stunning the clown who still stood a few feet from him. "That was what she said. She's a very clever girl, clever enough to be the next head of the Spider."

Kuroro began to walk away, and though shocked by his words, Kurapika chose not to stop him.

"By the way," Kuroro spoke again before turning a corner. "Do you really think that, despite her brilliance, the phone call she made was a fluke?"

And he disappeared down the road.

There was a long moment of silence as the information given to them slowly sank in. Miyuki furrowed her brows.

"What did he mean by that?" she asked.

Killua yawned.

"It means that Natsumi sort of knew we'd be listening to any phone calls that could be traced back to her," he said, standing up and dusting his shorts. "She probably wanted us to take her away from Kuroro before he stole her ability. After all, he wouldn't attack her if we were all here."

Gon chuckled heartily as he patted Kurapika's shoulder.

"He even said that she was clever enough to be the next leader of the Genei Ryodan!" he said, taunting his blond friend. "What would you do then if she accepted?"

Kurapika slapped his own face as yet another heavy feeling clouded over him.

"Don't even suggest such a thing, Gon," he said, sighing. "It's bad for my heart."

Killua laughed.

"That's ironic, since your weapon of choice is bad for your enemy's heart."

Gon laughed along, and the two best friends skipped past their flat vehicle on their way home. Kurapika crossed his arms and smiled a little, but said nothing more as he gazed at Natsumi, who was still unconscious in Hisoka's arms. Miyuki scooted next to him and roughly patted his back, jolting him because of her unexpectedly tough arms.

"I wanna go to her too," she said, pertaining to Natsumi, who was still in Hisoka's arms. "But I think he wouldn't want anyone to touch her right now. He's so selfish."

Senritsu stirred for a moment, and then opened her eyes.

"Are you all right?" Kurapika asked, helping her up. "You were completely out."

Senritsu rubbed her eyes and immediately looked towards the side, where Hisoka stood silently. She closed her eyes and lifted her finger, conducting music that only she could hear.

"How beautiful," she said, smiling heartily. "This enchanting melody was what woke me up just now."

Kurapika's hand twitched minutely as he frowned at the ground, and Miyuki noticed. Taking his hand, she pulled him along and gave him a big smile.

"I'll keep you company for the rest of the day," she said in a reassuring tone. "There's a really popular restaurant just around the corner!"

* * *

_Take away the pain inside_

_Hold my hand and show me_

_Just how much love there is_

_In the world I've abandoned_

_

* * *

_

Hisoka continued to gaze at Natsumi's sleeping face. He bent his knees and sat on the floor, taking care not to move so much as to wake her. She breathed in and out lightly, like she knew she was out of harm's way and that everything was over. It was only then that he noticed the heavy and dark bags under her eyes. Her skin was a sickly shade of translucent white, and the veins beneath the skin on her cheeks were almost visible.

He gently caressed her face, down to her neck and shoulders, where she was shot, and then to one of her arms. Even underneath the coat she wore, he could tell that she was malnourished. No wonder she weighed even less than what he had remembered her to be. The veins on her arms and hands were slightly popping out, and her fingers were worn and thin, like they had been overworked with rough manual labor.

How could he have allowed Kuroro to walk away after he had induced such a deathly condition on his princess?

Just then, the judgement chain around his heart contracted, causing him to cough out a little amount of blood, which found its way on her neck. Natsumi slowly opened her eyes and saw Hisoka's panicking face.

"I'm sorry princess," he said, wiping his blood off of her neck with the back of his hand. "I didn't mean to."

"Where is Kuroro?" she asked, looking around.

Hisoka bit his tongue for a moment, just in case he blurted out random profanities that would trigger something in her. Natsumi stood up and looked around, but Kuroro was nowhere to be found. She then looked at Hisoka.

"Do you know which way Kuroro went?" she asked.

Hisoka's heart suddenly contracted multiple times in a single second, causing him to fall to his hands and knees and cough out even more blood. He clutched his chest, unable to ease the intense pain he was feeling. Natsumi took a step back as she watched him suffer.

"Sorry, princess," he managed to choke out while grinning. "Please just give me a moment. I haven't touched you in a long time, so the judgement chain is in shock."

It took him a few minutes to get back to his feet. As soon as he was able to stand, he tried to reach for her, but she flinched and backed away, her eyes tainted with worry. She stared at the small puddle of blood that Hisoka had coughed out. It frightened her.

"Are you dying?" she asked, backing away even more. "Is it my fault after all?"

Hisoka's grin widened even more. Couldn't she even tell that it was a forced gesture, just like she usually could? He patted his chest proudly, putting an air of invincibility around him.

"Of course not, princess," he said in an exaggerated happy tone. "The only fault you have is hanging out with that loser Kuroro."

Natsumi frowned.

"Don't speak ill of Kuroro," she said defensively. "He did nothing wrong."

Hisoka's grin fell to a frown as well. How much of this different princess could he take?

"Nothing wrong?" he repeated, scowling. "Look at yourself, princess. You look dead! If you hadn't called and asked for help-"

"I wasn't asking for help!" she cut him off, yelling as her cheeks turned red. "Are you insinuating that I-"

Hisoka forcefully grabbed her arm and pressed his lips against hers, giving her a deep kiss without a chance for any escape. He snaked his arm around her waist and bent forward, kissing her further. Natsumi stood still, her arms hanging loosely on her side. There was no room for confusion or anger. All she could feel was Hisoka's warm lips as he ravaged her mouth.

He finally let her go and took a step back, wiping his mouth with his arm as he took deep breaths. A bead of sweat managed to drip down from his temple and down to the ground. He glanced at her, and he couldn't keep his eyes off of her from then on.

She stood like a shy high school girl about to confess her feelings to the boy she had loved for years. Her hand was coyly set on her lips. Her eyes were pointed blankly towards the side as the kiss she had just received replayed over and over in her head. Her cheeks remained a lush shade of pink.

Hisoka's fingers twitched as he tried to stop himself from doing it again. A few seconds passed, and Natsumi suddenly turned her gaze towards him, taking a step forward so that she was right in front of him. She looked at him intently, like a child waiting for a long-awaited birthday present. Hisoka's heart clenched, but he ignored it when she closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

"Princess," he grinned, not knowing what else to do. "Are you asking for another one?"

Without waiting for an answer, he took her by her waist and dipped her downward once more, giving her another kiss, longer than any she's ever received before.

* * *

End of Chapter!

Phew. How was that? That took me pretty long to write, but I hope you enjoyed it! I have a week and a half before school starts, and I've already begun to write the last chapter, so watch out for that in a few days. Woohoo! Wow, I can't believe it's almost over…

Thank you for reading and please review! I love reading your feedback!


	31. And There Were Three

WOW. Final chapter. I'm sure people want to painfully poke me with toothpicks since I didn't update when I said I would... and it's the final chapter too. In any case, it's here, and... it's A VERY LONG ONE. Like, whoa. Lots of dialogue, drama, and humor? Yes. I hope you guys enjoy it! Took me months to try and end it, but it was difficult. That sounded like a bad breakup. Haha. So today, in the spirit of procrastination, I managed to write for ten hours straight. And this is the product.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do now own Hunter x Hunter or its characters. However, I do own Natsumi and the other original characters in this fanfiction.

* * *

**You Disrupt Me**

**Chapter 30: And There Were Three**

* * *

"Are you mocking me?" Kurapika's hard voice resonated through the hospital walls. Leorio seemed preoccupied with reading scans of what looked like a human brain.

"You heard me," Leorio said passively. "To get Natsumi-chan back in shape, you gotta give her an excessive dose of Hisoka."

"That's extremely stupid…" Kurapika replied, sitting next to his longtime friend.

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any ideas," Leorio said, storing Natsumi's file in a metal drawer. "If you want to help, you could start by retracting that curse you put on him."

"Why should I?" he said defensively. "She's going to break it herself anyway."

"Very true," Leorio said, finally sitting down next to him to listen with his full attention. "Where is she, by the way? She disappeared right after the MRI this morning."

Kurapika frowned as he crossed his arms, and Leorio could tell he wasn't happy about her whereabouts.

"She's at school," he replied with a disagreeable tone. "Can you believe it? It's been two days since we found her and she's in _school_! She can barely walk without assistance."

"You're completely exaggerating," Leorio said, tapping the table with his fingers. "See, this is why she chose Hisoka over you. You always jump to conclusions, thinking she's a fragile little girl who can't do anything for herself. She's got some pride too, you know."

Kurapika fell silent for a moment, and Leorio knew he struck a chord.

"She didn't choose Hisoka over me," he said begrudgingly. "She chose him… because there was no one else in her mind. From the very beginning, it was only Hisoka."

There was another bout of long silence. Leorio arched a brow as he examined his friend's glum face and stiff posture. Then, with a strong pat on his back, he stood up.

"Yup," he said, straightening his white doctor's coat. "Hisoka always wins, doesn't he?"

* * *

Sitting in front of the library, Hisoka suddenly sneezed and wiped his nose on a piece of tissue from his pocket. He sighed.

"Someone is talking about me," he said to himself. "Perhaps my princess is telling her new classmates about how handsome I am?"

He heard a few giggles from afar and spotted a group of girls looking at him. As soon as their eyes met, they all shrieked in unison and ran away like little girls.

"I suppose the library is too public a place for my princess and I to meet," he whispered to himself. "But then again, she looks so cute whenever she's embarrassed. Hmm... this is an absolute dilemma."

From a distance, Hisoka could sense the strong presence of Miyuki, who was sprinting towards him with a worried look on her face. In a split second, several gruesome thoughts about an endangered Natsumi flashed across his mind. His heart immediately skipped two full beats as she finally reached him. She set her hands on her knees and panted exhaustedly. For once, Hisoka wished he had Pakunoda's ability to know everything with a single touch.

"Natsumi-chan didn't show up to our class today!" she belted out, setting her hands on her face in confused panic. "I thought she was just lost on campus somewhere since it's her first day, but she didn't show up at all! I know she's different now, but I don't think she'd skip a class because… well, she hates skipping, doesn't she? Something must have happened. She might've run away again!"

Hisoka stood up and was about to dash off, but a shiny pink glint caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Behind one of the library's big pillars, a group of familiar-looking girls predatorily formed a circle around another girl, who sat down on the ground with a pocketbook in her hands.

It was Natsumi who was the target of such wicked attention. Was she sitting there the entire time? How could he have not felt her presence? The pink glint came from the gem that was embedded in the spider hair clip that Nobunaga had given her for her birthday, and she was wearing it. She was reading a pocketbook, but what were those girls doing?

"That's it!" one of the girls suddenly yelled in frustration. "How long are you going to sit there, pretending we don't exist? You think you're better than us, don't you?"

Natsumi remained silent, staring at her book.

"I can't believe you're the one Hisoka-kun has been waiting for all this time," another spat. "I've never felt such disappointment in my life."

Miyuki clenched her fists and took a step forward to march over, but Hisoka raised his hand as a signal to stop. He didn't look any happier than she did, but why wasn't he doing anything?

"Are you going to let them talk to her that way?" Miyuki asked angrily.

"Yes," Hisoka replied, greatly appalling her. "Being talked down is one of the things my princess hates, aside from my occasional perverted advances. Even if everything else about my princess is different, the little tolerance she has for being belittled will always remain the same."

Miyukie internalized what he had said, but Natsumi didn't seem too keen on doing anything about the girls.

"So… you're saying she'll snap at them?" she asked Hisoka. "But she didn't even snap at you when she woke up this morning and found you sleeping next to her. Nothing bothers her anymore because Kuroro killed her emotions!"

Hisoka didn't reply, and so Miyuki painfully watched on as the verbal attacks ensued.

One of the girls set her foot on Natsumi's lap, looking at her condescendingly. Natsumi didn't even seem to notice.

"Are you even curvy enough to be considered a girl?" she asked her, causing the other girls to laugh. "I felt so much better when I thought that the pretty freshman was his girlfriend. "

"Yeah! What was her name? Miyuki, right?"

"She's perfect for him," another added. "She's taller and really pretty, unlike you."

Natsumi flipped the page to read the next chapter of her book, ignoring them, but that only seemed to spark some intense anger.

One of the girls pried the book out of Natsumi's hands and lifted it high in the air, as if to urge her to stand and reach for it like a dog. Natsumi looked at her empty hands and then looked up at the book being held in the air.

"Come on, hobo," a girl pushed her roughly, causing her to graze her head on the ground. "Take it from her if you really want your boring book back."

Natsumi touched her head to check if there was any blood, but she was fine.

"It's not my book; it's the library's," she spoke for the first time, her voice loud but toneless. "If you damage it, I'd like you to be responsible and pay for the damage fees."

The girls seemed taken aback by her sudden speech, but it seemed to have fueled their game even more.

"So we finally got your attention," the girl who was holding the book said. "I should probably just tear the useless pages out of this useless book and make a paper mache model of your ugly face."

"You can do that after I've read the book," Natsumi replied with a blank face. "But they only have one copy of the book in this city, so you might get in trouble for it."

The girl had it. She threw the book to the ground and grabbed Natsumi's shirt, pulling her upwards so that she was forced to stand.

"Why does Hisoka-kun like somebody as abnormal as you?" she yelled. "You buy your clothes from thrift stores, your dad's a criminal, and your mom used to-"

Natsumi suddenly grabbed the girl's wrist, her eyes wide in warning. The girl immediately shut her mouth, fear crawling up her bloodstream as she felt a dark wave of intense anger suffocate her senses. Natsumi pulled the girl's arm away from her shirt and brushed her aside, causing her to fall to the ground. The rest of the girls stood still, feeling uneasy and afraid, though they didn't know why.

Only Hisoka could see it: Natsumi's black aura was slowly turning red - its original color.

"Your voice is as annoying as a prank phone call in the middle of the night," Natsumi said, grabbing the book from the girl's hand.

She turned to the girl on her right. "Your face is so imperfect that my eyes can't even recognize you as human."

She turned to the girl on her left. "Your breath smells like compost."

She finally turned to the girl behind her. "Look at yourself in the mirror, and if you don't cry at the sight, you must be blind."

She grabbed her backpack from the floor and slung it over her shoulder.

"You can hurt me all you want, but if you decide to attack the people I love, I just might break everything you ever believed in," she said, giving each of them a piercing gaze as she walked away.

"Oh, and…" she blurted out, stopping mid-step. "Hisoka is my knight. If we were all trapped in a burning building together, he'd save only me, even if he still had the time to save all of you."

All their jaws dropped.

Hisoka appeared from behind the pillar, laughing uncontrollably at what he had just witnessed, as if agreeing with what she said. He wrapped his arm around her neck.

"But you'd still try to save them yourself, wouldn't you, princess?" He said, grinning like a mad scientist.

Natsumi's cheeks burned red as soon as she saw him, looking away and almost forgetting everything that had just happened.

"Of course," she replied. "Wouldn't you? Oh..."

"See? She's such a kind person, so leave her alone," Hisoka chuckled. "Besides, she can kill all of you with a flick of a wrist, make it rain and flood inside your home, and pull a few strings here and there so that you'll all end up jobless when you graduate."

Natsumi slapped Hisoka's arm in annoyance.

"You're making it seem like I'm a monster. I'd never do any of that."

Hisoka chuckled again.

"Welcome back, my princess," he said, taking her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder as they walked away together. "However, I must say that I am now quite afraid of getting on your bad side. I might end up crying as much as those girls are about to tonight."

Natsumi looked at the ground and toyed with her fingers, quite embarrassed by her public show of immaturity and vulgarity.

"I… I only said those things because that girl was going to say stuff about my mom and…and…" she choked on her own words and Hisoka stepped in front of her, taking her chin and lifting it up so that she would look at him.

"And?" he asked, smiling knowingly.

She pouted slightly, her cheeks getting even redder.

"And… well… they seem interested in you… and I don't like that at all."

Hisoka bent down and lifted her up, carrying her once again in his arms.

"H-Hisoka! What are you doing?"

"The library is the best, after all," he said, as if standing firm about a controversial opinion. "Let's go on a date."

"Hisoka! Put me down!" she struggled against his muscular arms. "I already skipped a class today! I can't skip another one!"

He no longer replied, simply grinning as he disappeared into the corner along with her.

Miyuki sighed as she watched them leave, a bittersweet smile on her face. The group of girls suddenly buckled down to the floor, like they had been pushed down by reality itself. They all looked at each other, unable to comprehend the sudden surge of embarrassment that had invaded their perfect world.

"That girl... She...she's crazy!"

* * *

_Like a broken car,_

_I refuse to move_

_And I never will_

_Until you return_

_And fix me yourself_

* * *

Hisoka stood next to Natsumi, holding her hand like his life depended on it. Natsumi didn't seem to protest, although her neck was beginning to feel as warm as her cheeks, which usually meant that she was too embarrassed for the average blushing. After all, there they were, hand in hand on top of the tallest building in York Shin, watching the sunset. How cheesy and cliché could a pair of people get?

"I couldn't sense your presence outside the library," he suddenly said. There was a sharp pain in his chest, but he forced himself to ignore it, so that she wouldn't notice. She nodded her head.

"I was reading a book before those girls bothered me," she said.

"You were reading a book _outside_ the library? Very bizarre."

She giggled.

"Kuroro thought so too," she said. "Because of him, I am no longer afraid of the sea."

"You are also no longer afraid of heights," Hisoka said, a hint of bitterness when the devil himself was mentioned.

He felt her grip on his hand tighten exponentially, as if his words had opened pandora's box in her memories of the past few months.

"Kuroro made me jump down from this very building two hundred times in three days," she said, her hand twitching ever so slightly. "Well, sort of. It was in a dream, induced by a nen specialist. But in the dream, everything was real, from the wind blowing against my face to the fear I felt at the pit of my stomach."

Hisoka tightened his grip even more, gritting his teeth in anger until a portion of his gums bled. She looked at him and then leaned on his shoulder. He stiffened automatically.

"But… I always imagined that you were there whenever I jumped, so I was always able to do it each time," she said, giggling a bit. "Sometimes, you pushed me. Sometimes, you jumped with me. But most of the time, I imagined that you were at the bottom, ready to catch me with your trustworthy chiseled arms."

Natsumi realized what she had said and she let go of her hold on him, setting her hands on her face as she buckled down to hide her embarrassed features.

"That was so cheesy! Wow!" she yelled. "I mean, think about it! Even if you did catch me, my feet would crush your face! Well, that depends if I'm falling feet or head first… and… and taking into consideration gravity, my weight, and the height of this building, I'd probably crush your body too! Besides, there's no guarantee I'd even fall on the exact spot you're standing on because of the wind and the irregular distribution of-"

Hisoka set his hand on her head, and she immediately stopped talking, further embarrassing herself.

"I haven't talked to you in ten months," she sighed. "And now that I finally am, I'm talking about my feet crushing your face. I'm hopeless."

"Hopeless? Well, you just recovered from ten months worth of repeated physical and mental abuse," he said lightly, although she sensed some deep animosity in his voice. "And here you are, taking five college classes in the middle of the semester while chewing out four of the brattiest girls on campus. You are quite scary."

Natsumi smiled at his little speech.

"It's getting dark," she said, standing up. "They might kick us out."

Hisoka suddenly pulled her forward and kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms around her small frame and embracing her tightly. Everything about that moment felt right, and she knew she was going to mentally slap herself later on for thinking of such a cheesy line. This was Hisoka! But he felt so good so close to her. He took a step back and set his hands on each of her cheeks, gazing intently at her watery eyes. He kissed her a second and a third time, making her almost giggle in bliss. She bit her lips to prevent herself from making any weird and awkward sounds.

"Princess, my princess," he spoke, his voice almost poetic and his gaze passionate.

Natsumi couldn't look away, as much as she wanted to. She wasn't equipped for cheesiness! It was so unlike her to be staring into somebody's eyes with such vigor for so long that she couldn't keep track of time.

Hisoka let out a heavy sigh.

"I love you, princess," he said, stunning her into a frozen state. "I love you more than I love the thrill of fighting the most powerful nen users. I love you more than I love building card pyramids. I… I love you more than I love watching Gon grow into a ripe fruit!"

Ten seconds passed, and Natsumi's eye began to twitch erratically. She took her shoe and hit his head with it, forcing him to let go of her. Her entire face was as red as an advertised tomato, and tears were about to fall. She turned her back to him, embarrassment reaching optimum levels. She looked around frantically, though she really wasn't sure what she was looking for. She couldn't breathe. Was she going to pass out?

"Princess?" he called, patting the spot on his head where she had hit him with her shoe. "While you were away, I watched dozens of romantic comedies because I knew you didn't like dramatic confessions. Did I get my point across in a lighthearted and feel-good way?"

"You did it perfectly!" Natsumi said in an angry tone, refusing to face him.

"Are… are you upset?" Hisoka asked, feeling helpless.

"No, I'm not!" she replied even louder.

Hisoka cowered behind her, unable to do anything. After a few moments, she murmured something softly, but he didn't hear. He scooted closer and set his hand to his ear.

"What was that, princess?"

She murmured something again, barely above a whisper, but he still couldn't hear. It was interesting how he could hear enemies from miles away, but he couldn't understand a few words spoken two inches from his ear.

"One more time, please, princess?"

She took her other shoe and hit his arm.

"I already know!" she yelled, hitting him repeatedly with both of her shoes. "You've been showing me that fact since the day we met, so I know! And my head has been filled with thoughts of you since the millisecond I saw your face and that god-awful smile of yours! Got it? You better remember this moment since I'll never say it again! I love you more than I love school!"

Hisoka gasped as he set a hand to his mouth.

"Really?" he said, happier than a rainbow after a stormy day. "More… more than school? Think about what you're saying, princess! You're saying you love me more than you love school!"

Natsumi hit him a final time.

"I see what you're doing," she said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I am NOT going to say it again!"

With that, she pressed the button of the elevator, and awkwardly waited for it to climb three hundred floors as he stood a few feet behind her. She turned her head sideways to glance at Hisoka, and sure enough, he was still there, grinning madly like he had won a cruise trip for two. The elevator finally chimed and she dashed inside, only to run straight into Kurapika. The two fell on top of each other and, before the doors completely shut themselves, Natsumi swiped a glance at Hisoka's displeased face.

She jumped off of Kurapika and helped him up, dusting her clothes although she didn't actually touch the floor. She pressed the button for the lobby and then leaned on the mirrored wall, setting her hands behind her back. It was going to be a long ride down.

* * *

_The taste of blood_

_The stench of rust_

_The betrayed soul_

_Lurks among them_

_It stops to rest_

_For a sip of hope_

_But the well is dry_

* * *

Natsumi glanced at the elevator's screen. There were 250 more floors to go, and it already seemed like forever. She could feel Kurapika's gaze on her, and she didn't know what to do. A small lump formed at the base of her throat, and she wanted to swallow it or cough it out, but she didn't want to make any sudden movements. Instead, she bit her tongue.

"You aren't saying anything," he said as he crossed his arms. "I was skeptical when Miyuki told me you've returned to your normal self. Maybe she really is wrong."

"I-I'm fine!" Natsumi replied hastily, looking at her pink socks. There were a few holes in them where a select few of her toes were peeking. She had forgotten to put her shoes back on after hitting Hisoka with them. Kurapika noticed and promptly took off his formal-looking black shoes, bending down and setting them next to her feet.

There were 220 more floors to go.

"You don't have to," she said, stepping away from them like they were diseased. "I'm going home after this, so I don't mind walking in my socks. It's not like I've never done that before."

She recalled the time the Genei Ryodan had kidnapped her and when Nobunaga had forcibly babysat her, dragging her around in her PJs and socks. That was one of the lowest points in her life, but it almost seemed funny now.

"Wear them," Kurapika said, looking up at the display screen. "It's cold outside."

There were 180 more floors to go.

"If I do, Hisoka will only take them off and throw them away somewhere," she said.

"Then tell him not to," he replied. "You know he'll listen to you."

She fell silent, agreeing with him with a single nod. After a few moments of deliberation, she slipped her feet in them. They were warm and around three sizes too big.

There were 150 more floors to go.

Kurapika crossed his arms and leaned on the wall as well. He closed his eyes, and Natsumi turned to steal a glance. The elevator suddenly stopped and the doors opened. A tall man in a business suit was about to step in when he saw Kurapika without any shoes and Natsumi wearing them. A strong ominous feeling came over him, and he stepped back, allowing the elevator to close its doors and continue downward.

There were 100 more floors to go.

"I'm sorry for disappearing," Natsumi finally said, looking straight at him for the first time. "I'm sorry for siding with your enemy. I'm sorry for undoing the curse, even when I knew you risked your life when you placed it on him. I am the worst friend a person can possibly have! And that's why… that's why I won't betray you again…I won't break the curse you put on Hisoka."

Kurapika seemed taken aback by her words. He didn't know what to say. All twenty seven square footage of the elevator seemed to shrink down, leaving them with no room to breathe without stealing the other's air supply.

"But being around him is my choice, so he shouldn't lose his life for it," she continued, clenching her fists. "So… I'm going to take his heart and I'm going to exchange it for mine."

Kurapika's eyes went bloodshot, unable to even imagine what she was trying to tell him. A heart exchange? A... transplant? Even if their bodies didn't reject the foreign organ, he didn't know if his nen would do the same. It would sense foreign nen and... what then?

"That way, I am neither betraying you nor killing him because of my selfishness."

There were 50 more floors to go.

Kurapika banged his fist on the mirrored wall, breaking a small area of it. Natsumi jumped at the violence. She almost forgot how thin Kurapika's temper was, especially when it came to things that involved her.

"I lost," he said, setting his hands on his face as he slid down to the ground like a shamed man. He buried his face in his lap as his hair covered his eyes. Natsumi felt pangs of pain in her chest. She had never seen him this way before, and it hurt her even more knowing that it was her fault. Why was it so difficult to make everyone happy?

"I love you," he said, gritting his teeth like it was toxic in his mouth. "I told you a long time ago! I told you first, so why does he get to have you?"

He punched the wall one more time, and this time the entire mirror shattered and fell to pieces on the floor. He stood up and punched all the surrounding mirrors, creating an ear-shattering noise that seemed to emulate the screaming in his head.

"Stop it, Kurapika! There are cameras!" she yelled, grabbing his bleeding hand before he further hurt himself. "Stop it or you'll get demoted for endangering a civilian!"

It took a full minute for him to stop struggling against her. He fell to the floor, exhausted. His eyes were still bloodshot, and his one Kuruta eye flickered bright red. As if in response, her eye flickered bright red as well. She recalled the day that Leorio told her about the unimaginable pain Kurapika had inflicted upon himself to give her his eye, so that she would survive. Unimaginable bodily pain overshadowed by more grief. She gritted her teeth and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, Kurapika... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." she whispered repeatedly, her voice shaky and pained. "I love you so much and I wish I could make you understand how much you mean to me. I would give you anything... I just can't return your feelings."

His silence only created a bigger throbbing feeling in her chest. They finally reached the lobby, and the elevator doors opened. She looked outside, expecting to see security guards coming to arrest the violent government agent, but there was no one to be seen. It was completely empty from their view. Were they going to wait for them to step out and then take him down? When they actually did step out, they figured out why.

To the side of the lobby, Hisoka was faking an erratic seizure - complete with some frothing in the mouth that looked like whipped cream - and all the building's employees and passersby were preoccupied with trying to help him. He looked absolutely stupid that Kurapika couldn't help but chuckle a little. A small videotape slid across the floor from where Hisoka was, and Natsumi picked it up. It was the surveillance recording from the elevator's camera. She smiled.

"You won't get into any trouble," she said, glancing at Hisoka one more time. "And I think he's giving us more time to talk… although I can't understand why he can't just wait outside. Then again, he's distracting them since you did irreparable damage to privately owned property."

Kurapika didn't say anything. He took the tape from her hands and crushed it in his own, letting it crumble to the floor.

"You didn't lose, you know," she then said, tearing the sleeve of her shirt and using it to bandage the cuts in his fists. "I have no grace and I can never say cheesy things. Who wants a girlfriend like that? I actually predict that for your personality type, an aggressive girl will fall for you. She'll go after you, and though she'll come on a bit strong, she'll be sweet and very caring. But, she'll be really vocal about things, like how much she loves you or how your socks don't match today."

He chuckled darkly. He was about to say something when Miyuki suddenly stormed in the lobby, a determined look on her face.

"I heard someone screaming for a doctor! I know CPR!" she shouted, marching towards the crowd of people. Hisoka stopped faking his seizure and stood up, wiping the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead from shaking so vigorously. He swallowed the whipped cream and grinned as people looked on in disgust.

"I'm fine now, so thank you for your concern," he said, walking towards Kurapika and Natsumi, who were still in deep conversation. Miyuki followed in utter confusion.

"Are you guys done?" Hisoka asked, pulling Natsumi gently by her waist, away from Kurapika. There was a silent recognition in the air between the two men, but it was as deadly as it used to be. Natsumi longed for the day it would all be over.

"No," Kurapika replied, refusing to look at him. "We aren't done."

In a split second, his chains appeared as he raised his right hand. The single chain binding him to Hisoka reacted violently from being summoned after some dormancy. He felt the full force of Kurapika's chain constrict his heart. He felt like acid had been poured down his throat, entering his lungs and burning through to his heart. His own nen seemed to pry his arm away from where it was wrapped around Natsumi's waist, but he didn't want to let go of her. How many hours of his life did he lose today?

"Break it, Natsumi," Kurapika said, clenching his fists tightly as he spoke against his own wishes. "It will all be over if you do that."

Natsumi's eyes widened and shook her head, taking steps back away from Hisoka. The pain he felt from the constrictions reduced substantially. She took a few more steps back.

"I can't do that! I won't betray you again, Kurapika! I told you, I'm taking his heart! You exchanged our eyes, how different could it be?"

There were strong gusts of wind that had brewed and surrounded the three of them. The wind howled loudly, like a sacred rite had been violated. Kurapika's nen seemed to have a mind of its own, and it knew Natsumi's intentions. It wasn't going to let it happen.

The building's employees noticed their odd group, but before they could question the activity, Miyuki took action and dropped to the floor, shaking vigorously just as Hisoka had.

"Oh noooo!" she shouted exaggeratedly, her voice shaking. "I think I got that man's seizure! And here I believed that seizures weren't contagious!"

Everyone ran to her aid, especially since her model-esque frame and tiny voice attracted attention like an A-list celebrity in the midst of paparazzi.

"Break it, Natsumi!" Kurapika repeated as Natsumi turned her attention away from Miyuki. "I love you, and this is the only thing that ties you down to me. I don't want to be the villain in your story anymore."

Natsumi looked at him intently. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the immense sadness in his eyes. How could she have caused such pain when all she wanted was for everyone to be happy? She looked at the shaking metallic weapon. She set both of her hands on its cold surface and a thousand minute droplets of water materialized and penetrated it. She looked at Kurapika for reassurance, and then she saw Hisoka drop to the floor, on the verge of losing consciousness. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to betray Kurapika a second time. She waved her fingers and the water expanded inside, shattering the chain into pieces.

Hisoka coughed out blood as he felt the chain fragmenting into little nen pieces in his heart. A few moments later, the pain had subsided and the anemic feeling he had forced himself to ignore was finally gone. Natsumi kissed Kurapika's cheek and hugged him tightly, a single tear escaping her eye.

"Thank you, Kurapika."

As soon as it was over, Miyuki stood up just as Hisoka did and bowed down.

"Phew! Thanks!" she said, working her way through the confused mob.

"Is everything good now?" she asked, setting her hands on her head like a carefree child. "I embarrassed myself out there, so this better be good."

Natsumi opened her mouth to speak, but Miyuki stuffed a piece of candy in her mouth before she could speak.

"Not you, because I know you're just gonna want to talk about _that_," she said, looking at the ceiling as she felt a little pinch in the form of painful memories. "You're really happy right now, so I won't ruin it by talking about it. We can talk about it some other time. I forgive you, and that's what matters."

Natsumi was about to protest. After all, she… she killed her father. In what world would open arms still be an option? She was about to say something, but Miyuki glanced at Hisoka, and he nodded in understanding. He pulled Natsumi's face towards him and kissed her.

Miyuki's cellphone suddenly beeped. She pulled it out of her pocket and read the message on the screen. She pouted in annoyance.

"Hmph!" she blurted out. "My boyfriend says he can't make our date today because he has a paper due tomorrow. Really! Why didn't he write it yesterday?"

She crossed her arms and sulked for a minute as she looked around. After tapping her foot endlessly, she noticed that Kurapika was missing his shoes, and that Natsumi was wearing them.

"Wow, those are really ugly shoes!" she said to Kurapika, pointing at Natsumi's feet. "We're going shopping for some new shoes because you are never wearing those again!"

She grabbed Kurapika's arm and pulled him along.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow at school!" she waved. "Gosh, Kurapika. Not only ugly shoes, but mismatched socks too?"

Natsumi arched a brow as she watched the two leave the building. Kurapika shot her a helpless glance before disappearing in the corner.

"When Miyuki says she'll buy a pair of shoes, she buys ten. Kurapika won't need these anymore."

Natsumi sighed, taking the oversized shoes off and tucking them under her arm. A bunch of people stared at her every now and then, but for some reason, she didn't care. Was she that used to embarrassment by now? Police sirens went abound as a bunch of employees panicked at the sight of the broken elevator.

"We have to go, Hisoka," she said, heading for the door. "I look suspicious no matter how you look at it."

"I threw your shoes in the trash, princess," Hisoka said, grinning.

"What?" she yelled, garnering everyone's attention. She lowered her voice. "Why did you do that?"

"They were old and had more holes than your socks have," he said, shrugging. "Princess, I think you don't realize how much money Alphonse has in his bank that you have access to. You can buy a pair of shoes everyday."

"Yeah! Like I'd do that! We could at least have donated them!"

Hisoka grabbed Kurapika's shoes from under her arm and dexterously tossed them in the air. Four cards materialized in his hands and he flicked them upwards as well, cutting the shoes into six, evenly sized pieces. They fell to the floor.

"Oops."

Natsumi shrieked.

"We could have donated those!" she yelled, trying to freeze them back together.

Before she could really do anything, he grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his shoulder. The wind was knocked out of her lungs as the blood rushed to her brain. It took her two minutes to get the right breathing rhythm. She then proceeded to pound on his back.

"Where are you taking me? Don't make me use my nen on you! You know I can do serious damage!"

"I was faking the pain, my princess," he said, laughing hysterically. "The blood drawn and skin scalded by your steam was indeed real, but I didn't feel too much pain. I was trying to lure you out so I could kidnap you back."

"You're such a liar!" she shouted, pounding against his back once more, though she didn't have the heart to actually hurt him again.

"Come now, you're attracting unwanted attention, princess" he said, grinning. "We're going to buy you a sexy pair of three-inch heels, and I'll even tell the retailer to put rubberized soles so you can practice walking in them."

Natsumi struggled, although she knew it was pretty much useless.

"I'll never talk to you again, Hisoka! Your head is in the clouds just because everything went your way today!"

He grinned maniacally and kissed her thigh, sending a cold shiver up her spine. She shrieked in embarrassment as he laughed all the way down the street, highly amused.

"Oh, please talk to me, my princess. Don't you love me more than you love school?"

* * *

End of the final chapter!

Wow. Wasn't that long? Phew! I hope it was well worth the wait. This is definitely a bittersweet parting between you and me. I still can't believe it's over, but all good things have to end sometime. Did it end with a sizzle or a bang? (Enough with the cliches). While I have some damn good ideas for writing a new HisokaxOC chapter, I still don't know if or when they will actually come to fruition, or if they're even good enough to be written down. As you've already experienced, I'm pretty bad at keeping promises. Life shall decide!

Thank you so much, everyone, for following my story faithfully even after two years! I would have not continued writing if I didn't get such awesome feedback from you guys. Honestly, the kind words and positive energy I've received have made all the hours I've poured into this worth it! I'm glad it was as fun for me as it was fun for you.


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